And I Need You Now
by chalantness
Summary: FINISHED. One week later, Artie breaks up with Tina, Santana receives some shocking news, Quinn misses little Beth, Will is at a lost, and Rachel can't help but feel empty. So when does it start to feel like a victory? SemiAU;PostRegionals
1. Monday

**Note: formally called "Keep On Believing, Baby" for those who Story Alert-ed this before I changed the title and summary. **

**Characters/Pairings.** Puck/Rachel, Mike/Tina, Will/Shelby, Quinn/Artie, Finn/Santana; implied MattBrittany; with Kurt and Mercedes, of course!

Disclaimer: Glee © Fox; All songs used © their rightful artists

* * *

**And I Need You Now  
**

Chapter One: Monday

.

"There's someone else isn't there?" Tina asked, almost desperately. _Oh no_, she thought as she felt a lump forming in the back of her throat and her vision began to blur around the edges. _I will not cry! I will not cry! I will not cry!_ She chanted this over and over in her head like a mantra as she stared back at who she'd thought had been her boyfriend.

Artie looked away, guilt showing on his face so plainly that it might as well have been a blinking neon sign.

Tina gulped. Hard.

"It's not… It's not…" Artie stammered.

"'It's not you, it's me,' right? That's what you're going to say?"

"But it's true!"

"…Fine!" she snapped, her sadness mixing with her anger before she could notice.

"We can still be friends, Tina, really," he insisted, trying to make things better, when in fact it was going in the _complete_ opposite direction.

Tina laughed humorlessly, pushing out of her chair and getting up. "Of course we can. And as your friend, I should warn you that the next time you try to talk to me I might not be so friendly."

And she stormed out of the empty classroom, leaving behind Artie, who watched her slam the door shut. She felt his eyes on her even as she was walking down the hallway and turning in the other direction. She wasn't used to displaying so many emotions, and now they were dangerously flaring within her.

She'd been so distracted that she hadn't even noticed someone else was there until she ran into them.

She yelped slightly, automatically shutting her eyes and expecting to hit the wall or floor, but instead, strong arms caught her.

Her anger and sorrow disappeared immediately, and all that flooded through her was embarrassment.

Well, _that_, and the blood that was rushing to her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry!" she automatically exclaimed, praying to God that it wasn't someone who would hurt her over an accident.

"It's cool," her victim, and well _savior,_ reassured.

She cracked both eyes open. "Mike?"

He smiled at her. "Hey."

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Forgot something in my locker."

"Ah."

That's when Tina noticed his arm was still around her waist, keeping her up, and more blood rushed to her cheeks.

"Hey," he said, sounding a little troubled, and she turned to see that he was studying her closely. "You okay?"

"Huh?"

"Your cheeks are wet. And really red. Have you been crying?"

"No," she said automatically, too quickly to be convincing, and Mike arched an eyebrow. "I got to go," she blurted out suddenly, twisting out of his arm and sprinting down the hallway by the time he tried calling out to her.

She was _not_ going to let the water-works come. Especially _not_ in front of Mike Chang.

* * *

Finn sighed, stabbing at his cafeteria lunch as he tried to drown out the sounds of everyone around him, especially of Matt and Brittany, who were sitting right beside him, talking all lovey-dovey and kissing each other every few minutes. He seemed down all the time lately, and he had no idea why. They'd already won Regionals, he and Quinn were on good terms again since Little Beth had been born, he and Puck were best friends again, and all should be right with his world. Right?

He sighed again and spotted a familiar face across the cafeteria: Rachel Berry.

She had a distant, deep-in-thought expression on her face, and though she walked in between Kurt and Mercedes with their arms all linked together, she didn't seem to be part of Kurt and Mercedes' conversation.

Maybe it was Rachel. Things hadn't exactly worked out for them as a couple – too much baggage for the both of them, they supposed.

Of course they were both still great friends. He'd do anything for her. But he had a feeling that the love he held for her was more similar to the same kind he held to the rest of his glee-clubbers: a sort of sibling love. It was a mutual decision, for Rachel didn't seem to have the spark either.

No, he decided. It wasn't Rachel. It had to be something else bugging him. Or perhaps, some_one_ else.

"…Santana?"

Finn looked up, and saw that Matt and Brittany were both staring at him.

"Huh?" he asked.

Matt frowned. "You okay, man?"

"Yeah, I'm cool. What was that about Santana?"

"I was asking you if you've seen her," Brittany informed.

"Oh, uh, no I haven't, sorry," he answered, but as he spoke the words, he spotted said cheerleader through the open cafeteria doors.

She was hard to see through the crowd at the entrance, but she was heading towards them. That is, until her eyes met with Finn's. Then the strangest expression crossed her face, and one he couldn't quite figure out.

Then she turned on her heels and started back towards the hallway.

What the hell?

He got up, and before Matt or Brittany could question him, he was running after her.

He caught up to her a few hallways down, and grabbed her wrist as they entered an empty hallway more towards the back of the school.

Instinctively, she kicked backwards and tried prying herself free, screaming, "Get your hands off of me!", but Finn tightened his grip and dodged her kicks. She pun herself around, dropping her binder in her other hand (most likely to free it so she could punch him), but stopped when she saw it was him. "Finn?"

"What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me? You _grabbed_ me!"

"You know that's not what I meant!" he said, more angrily this time.

She paused, furrowing her eyebrows at him. "What?"

"What's been up with you these past few days?" he asked. "Something's bothering you. You're distracted all the time, you're always messing up on your cheers, you're never with Brittany anymore, you're forgetting dance steps in glee – what's your problem?"

"_Me?_" she asked in disbelief. "What about _you?_"

"What about me?"

"You've been down in the dumps, too, Hudson! You never eat, you don't hit the right notes, you forget the words! What's _your_ problem?"

"I don't know!"

"Well I don't know either!"

He blinked at her explosive response.

Santana got angry, and she got jealous, but never has he heard or seen her as frustrated and confused as he had that moment. Her voice was loud and enraged, but it had cracked when she yelled, like she was about to burst into tears, and that strange expression was on her face again.

She looked down at the floor and bent down to pick up her binder.

"Can I go now?" she asked, still not looking at him, and he let go of her wrist.

Then she looked at him one last time before spinning on her heels and walking away.

* * *

Quinn opened her locker and was met with the picture of her baby girl only hours after she'd been born. She was already cleaned off, dressed, and napping in her arms. The one next to it was a picture of Beth in an ultrasound, and the one beside that, her fellow glee-clubbers and Mr. Schue all crowded around her and were smiling at the camera.

She ran her finger tightly against the picture of Beth and just shook her head.

She was so frustrated and confused on what to do.

She knew the odds were against her. She knew it was the right thing to do. She couldn't live off of Mercedes and her family _and_ have them help her support a child. Though the Jones were a loving family and would never abandon her at a time like this, she just didn't want to be an even bigger burden on them. Plus, if she didn't have to raise a child at such a young age, she could have her life back and finally get out of this town. But none of those reasons could put out her urge to keep Beth.

"Quinn?"

She gasped slightly, wiping away the tears she hadn't realized were there. "Artie?"

"Hey, it's going to be okay," he reassured.

She exhaled. "No, it's not."

"She's in a safe, loving family. She's a very blessed little girl."

"I know that… but I kind of wished I could've still keep her," Quinn admitted. "I wish that somehow _I_ could have given her all those things."

It was silent for a minute, and then Quinn shook her head again. "Can we not talk about this?"

"Sure. No problem."

Quinn smiled appreciatively and exchanged binders for her next class before closing her locker.

Then she walked down the hallway with Artie rolling beside her in perfect silence. She liked it – it was comfortable.

"So, what's wrong Artie?" she asked a few minutes later. "You seem kind of… off."

Artie sighed. "I broke up with Tina today."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," she said. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know. But Tina seemed really upset," he admitted.

"She'll forgive you," Quinn reassured. "I don't think Tina's one to hold grudges."

"Maybe, but I didn't break up with her for the right reasons," he explained.

"Oh," she said softly. "Is there someone else?"

He was hesitant to admit it. "…Yes."

"Well, I hope she knows she's a lucky girl," Quinn said as they came to a stop in front of her next class. "Bye Artie."

"See you, Quinn."

He waved back at her and watched her enter the classroom, before sighing to himself.

"I sure hope you feel that way."

* * *

"See you later, Rach," Mercedes said, and Rachel waved goodbye to her and Kurt before they left for their next class.

Rachel sighed, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes. She thanked the Lord that the hallway was empty – though the instances were very scarce nowadays, she didn't want to risk getting bullied or slushied while not on her guard. She just needed a few seconds of rest anyway, but as soon as she started to relax, the bell rang. She groaned.

"Rachel?"

She cracked on eye open and saw Puck standing there.

She opened both eyes and her forehead creased in confusion. "Noah? What are you doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing out of class?"

"I could ask the same thing."

"But I always skip class."

"Fair enough."

He sighed, shaking his head at her. "You can be such a child sometimes, Berry."

"You can act rather childishly as well, Noah," she reminded.

He shrugged it off. "But I'm a stud – I can pull it off."

She rolled her eyes but decided not to comment. "Well I'd better be off to class."

"Why?" he asked. "You're already late. Just skip. Here, we'll go to my truck."

"What about sixth period? And glee?"

"We'll be back in time for glee."

She smiled at this.

She loved how much glee has changed her and all of them, but most of all, she loved how much glee has changed _him_. He's still the same Puck who liked to break rules and can be arrogant, but he was a warmer, friendlier person. A small part of her skipped a beat whenever he was around. She got chills whenever he sang; that voice of his was beyond words. And, as little as she'd liked to admit it, he's still had that same hold over her that he had had when they dated. She secretly missed their alone time together.

"Thank you so much, Noah," she said. "It's very sweet of you. And it sounds like a lovely idea. But I think I need to spend this time to myself."

He sighed, taking in her expression. It was sad, and apologetic, but also distracted and troubled. "It's your mom, isn't it?"

She blinked. "What?"

"That's what's been on your mind, right?"

"How did you…?"

"You're not hard to read, Rach."

She sighed. He was right. It _was_ her mother that was bothering her lately.

Though they'd come to a mutual decision to love each other from afar, she still couldn't believe that she was so close yet so far away. It had always been her dream to get to know her mother and have a mother-daughter relationship, and while she still loved her dads infinitely, she wanted her mom. She wanted it so badly that it hurt.

"Yes, but I'd really rather not talk about it," she admitted.

At his disappointed expression (which she figured he was trying hard to hide), she smiled and took his hand in hers.

"Maybe when I'm in a better mood your offer will still be available?" she asked.

He couldn't help but smile at her effort. "Yeah."

She pecked his cheek. "I'll see you later, Noah," she said, and she smiled at him one last time before walking away.

* * *

Will looked up instinctively as the bell hanging over the Starbucks door chimed, and his jaw dropped slightly as he saw Shelby Corcoran walk in. Maybe it was because he couldn't picture her anywhere other than the Carmel High School auditorium, but it seemed odd that a woman like her would drop by Starbucks for coffee; it just seemed too… _common_.

As she reached the register and was placing her order, he noticed that her usually darker attire was gone. Now that it was spring-going-on-summer, the weather was warmer. People shed their winter coats for their warmer clothes, which is exactly what Shelby has done. Her black jacket was draped over one arm, she wore a crisp yet slightly wrinkled white blouse with a shiny black belt wrapped over her stomach, a black skirt, and black flats rather than heels. He couldn't help but notice he found this fashion on her much more appealing.

When she received her coffee and turned to look for a table, he averted his gaze. It wouldn't be long until—

"Will?"

He looked up, pretending to be surprised. "Shelby?"

She walked over to him and cocked an eyebrow. "So even you cut classes?"

"Actually, I don't have a fifth or sixth period," he informed, "and occasionally I like to get out of the office."

"Ah," she said, and then looked to the vacant chair across from him. "Mind if I join you?"

"No, not at all," he said. "Go ahead."

She draped her jacket on the back of the chair before sliding onto the seat, crossing one leg over the other. They drank their coffee in silence for a moment, just enjoying the warmth that seeped through the large window they were seated beside.

Shelby closed her eyes, soaking up the sunlight.

"How's Quinn?" she asked, seemingly out of the blue.

"I'm not sure," he answered. "I know she decided not to keep her because of the difficulties, but I know Quinn also misses her."

She smiled sadly, opening her eyes. "Even if she only saw her briefly, saying goodbye is the hardest part."

Will looked at Shelby warily as a fond expression crossed her face. "Was it the same when you gave up Rachel?"

She nodded, taking another sip of her coffee. "It was there in the beginning, and then I suppressed it by trying to do shows. But it kept coming back up."

"How are things between you… and Rachel? Of course," he hurried to add as he saw her face fall slightly, "not that any of this is my business."

"No, no, I don't mind," she reassured, staring down at her coffee cup. "It's just that… the day of Regionals, I told Rachel that I missed out on my life. I missed out on my chance at a happy life with her. I told her I wanted a house with a dog and a family—I wanted my second chance. But I just don't think she and I have that chance anymore."

"Who's to say that's certain?" he asked.

Her eyes cut to him.

"Rachel, obviously, still wants to get to know you," Will reminded. "She's decided you two have a second chance."

"It's just going to be strange for her, and, frankly, overwhelming," Shelby reminded.

"Then those struggles will be what helps you two come together, right?" he asked.

She sighed, shrugging her shoulder.

"At least reconsider," he insisted. "Rachel will put just as much effort as you."

She looked at him warily before bringing her cup back up to her lips.

"I hope you're right, Will. I hope you're right."

* * *

**A/n.**

Mainly dialogue because I'm setting things up in this chapter, so the songs won't come until the later chapters.

I hope you don't mind my couple selection. It's not that I don't like the couples the show is leaning towards—Finn/Rachel, Artie/Tina, Puck/Quinn, Will/Emma—I just like my choice of couples a little more. It's as simple as that. If you don't like the couples, I suggest you not read. Oh, and I outlined this fic before the season finale, but went back to modify a few things. The only major things I decided to keep out were (obviously) the couples, and then Shelby adopting Beth. Again, not that I didn't like those events; I just changed it to make these couples possible.

Hope you all enjoy this!


	2. Tuesday

**Characters/Pairings.** Puck/Rachel, Mike/Tina, Will/Shelby, Quinn/Artie, Finn/Santana; implied Matt/Brittany; with Kurt and Mercedes, of course!

Disclaimer: Glee © Fox; All songs used © their rightful artists

* * *

**And I Need You Now**

Chapter Two: Tuesday

.

She should've known.

She should've known all along.

All of the signs had been so obvious and yet she'd been so oblivious.

The way he seemed to always to be staring at her. The way his eyes lit up, as did hers, whenever they talked. The way he would always wait for her at her locker. The way they couldn't stop giggling whenever they danced together in routines. It was quite obvious his eyes had been for her all along, and now she felt the same way.

Tina looked away Quinn and Artie, who were at her locker, laughing about something she didn't catch. It was just too much.

How could she have been _that_ blind? Maybe that was just how far in denial she was. How pathetic.

"Hey, Tina," that same familiar voice greeted her. She spun around to find none other than:

Mike Chang.

"Hi Mike," she said back. "Um, can I help you with something?"

He shrugged before smiling at her. "You want to come with me to grab lunch?"

"I, er…" She babbled like an idiot. Mike Chang was asking her to "grab lunch" with him? Was she even on the same planet anymore?

He smiled, taking her stuttering silence as a "yes" for he grabbed her hand and steered her towards the cafeteria.

Still dumbfounded, he handed her a tray and pushed her along the line, grabbing whatever the lunch ladies were putting out and setting it on her tray. He didn't seem aware of the fact she still hadn't said anything, and when they came to a stop in the line where students were paying, he seemed to be contemplating between banana pudding and some unnamed flavor of gelatin.

Then she became aware of the fact that people were starting to _stare_ at them. It _was_ a peculiar sight. Popular football jock Mike Chang buying lunch with freaky gothic Tina Cohen-Chang. Plus, he had an arm around her shoulder as he guided her through the line, his face dangerously close as he leaned in to get a better look at the desserts.

"What do you think Tina?" he asked, and she had to blink several times to get her brain started again.

"Huh?" Really? That's all you got, Tina? _Huh?_

He chuckled. "Pudding or jell-o?"

"I, uh…" She gulped, looking away as blood rushed to her cheeks. "…Pudding?"

He was silent for a minute. "Alright. Pudding it is! Nice choice," he laughed as he put two pudding cups on her tray.

"Um, two?" she questioned. Her voice was a few octaves higher than normal.

"One for me, one for you," he stated as he started pulling out singles from his wallet. "You didn't think all that food was for you, did you?"

She looked back down at the tray and realized that there _was_ a lot of food. Almost two of everything.

And then she felt her heart stopped as she realized what this meant: she was going to eat lunch with Mike Chang.

As he finished paying, he slipped his wallet back into his jacket pocket, and when he saw that she was pretty much frozen in place, he grabbed her elbow lightly and urged her to move again. She just followed wordlessly, still a little shocked by the situation. As they crossed the cafeteria, she saw kids stare and whisper as they passed by. She gulped again, mortified by all the attention. Mike, however, seemed oblivious, or was just really good at ignoring everyone.

When he spotted Matt and Brittany seated at their usual table, they waved them over, and Tina felt her heart flutter as he dragged her towards them.

"Hey, man," Matt greeted as the two pounded fists. Then Matt turned to Tina. "Hey, T."

"Um… H-Hey," she managed.

"Tina," Brittany waved, pulling Tina into the spot beside her as if she'd eaten lunch with them every day.

When Tina sat herself down, and the tray, she noticed Brittany eying her food, particularly her pudding.

"All that food's going to make you fat," Brittany said.

"Don't listen to her," Mike interrupted. "She just wants our pudding."

Tina's heart skipped a beat at "our." Had Mike Chang always made her feel so jumpy?

Then Mike reached over and grabbed his plate, digging in as he and Matt engaged in a conversation about a Halo 3 rematch at Finn's.

Brittany beamed. "So, do you, like, make fortune cookies?"

Despite the comment, Tina laughed. That was _so_ like Brittany. "Yes. I do."

"How do you get the fortune inside?"

Tina smiled, turning to face Brittany. "You see, when we bake them, we stick a little fortune seed inside, and _voila!_"

"Really?" Brittany asked quite seriously. "The paper burns?"

"No, the seed doesn't make the paper," Tina corrected with a giggle. It was so wrong, but with someone like Brittany, the temptation was too great. "It _becomes_ the paper!"

"Awesome," Brittany said, before kicking Matt underneath the table to grab his attention. "Can we get Panda Express after school?"

"What for?"

"I want a fortune cookie."

Tina bit her lower lip to try and contain her giggle as Matt tried to riddle out why his girlfriend was suddenly interested in Chinese food.

She caught Mike's eye. He was looking at her suspiciously, one eyebrow arched. It wasn't hard to put two and two together – she was Asian, and now Brittany really wanted a fortune cookie – and as soon as he seemed to catch on, he pointed an accusing finger at her.

"You're horrible," he said, _tsk_ing as he reached for his pudding and scooped some with his plastic spoon.

"I'm pretty sure it's not as bad as some of the things you and Matt have told her," I teased.

He gulped down his pudding. "True," he said with a laugh. Then he licked his lips, a strange expression crossing his face. "This… has a weird taste."

"Huh?"

He scooped more onto his spoon and held it out to her. "Taste it."

The thought of eating off of a spoon Mike just had (hel_lo, _it was an indirect kiss!) made more blood rush to her cheeks, but she hesitantly parted her lips as Mike fed her the pudding. She realized what he meant, but couldn't quite find her voice to agree. She just nodded mutely, managing a, "Y-Yeah that _is_ weird…" after she gulped it down.

Mike shrugged, and continued eating more as he and Matt resumed their conversation.

As the two were arguing who was better – Batman or Spiderman – Brittany leaned over and whispered into Tina's ear, "He's totally into you."

Tina's blush deepened. "_What?_" she hissed, thankful for the fact the cafeteria was loud enough, and the boys were distracted enough, to not have heard the out-of-her-mind cheerleader beside her. She knew Brittany said very… unusual things, but this was perhaps one of the most outrageous things ever.

Mike into _her?_ Impossible!

Right?

Brittany's eyes flickered to Mike and back to Tina. She whispered, "You should ask him out," into her ear before stealing her pudding.

"You're kidding, right?" she asked as she started eating the pudding. Then she lowered her voice. "He and I would not work out."

"Why not?" she asked.

"_Because!_" Tina answered. It should've been obvious to even her.

Brittany shrugged, licking the spoon. "It's cute. It's like… Shang and Mulan."

Tina shook her head and dropped the argument.

She couldn't help but find herself staring at Mike while Brittany rambled on about her suspicions of her cat telling the neighbor's dogs what it read from her diary.

She noticed how his face dimpled and his eyes glistened whenever he laughed; how his laugh was deep and booming, his voice velvety and melodic; how his muscular but lean body filled out his dark-washed jeans and black-and-blue hoodie quite nicely; and, with another flutter to her heart, how she couldn't _stop_ noticing things about him.

And probably her most horrifying realization of that day, or at least that moment:

She was _totally_ into Mike Chang.

Damn.

* * *

"Tina," Mr. Schue said as he reached her at her locker at the end of school. "There's a song I'd like you to try. Do you have time right now?"

"Uh…" Her eyes drifted down the hallway where Artie rounded the corner, rolling his wheelchair with Quinn sitting on his lap, the both of them laughing. Her locker was in the same hallways as theirs, and she really didn't feel up to seeing more of them at that moment. Deciding to call her mom with the excuse of a last-minute project, she answered, "Of course."

He smiled, and they (thankfully) walked down the hallway and away from Quinn and Artie, and into the choir room. She followed him to the piano, and Mr. Schue handed their pianist the sheet music before sliding one over to her.

"I'm Not That Girl" was written in bold letters at the top, and she felt her heart become heavy in her chest as she read this.

"Do you know this song?" he asked curiously, not seeming to notice the way she gulped.

"Yeah," she said, trying to force casualty. "My mom loves this play."

"Want to give it a shot without tapping out the note, then?" he suggested.

"…Sure."

He nodded at the pianist, who set up the sheet music and started playing the introduction.

_How ironic_, Tina thought to herself.

As it came to her part, she had to gulp down the lump that was forming in her throat again. She will not cry. She will not cry. She will not cry.

"_Hands touch, eyes meet  
Sudden silence, sudden heat  
Hearts leap in a giddy whirl_

_He could be that boy  
But I'm not that girl_

A memory of her and Artie sitting in glee club holding hands flashed across her mind.

Then, in another flash, Quinn was sitting in that chair, holding his hand, and she was the one watching from the outside.

"_Don't dream too far  
Don't lose sight of who you are  
Don't remember that rush of joy_

_He could be that boy  
I'm not that girl_

Tina tilted her head, pretending to distract herself with trying to read the words so Mr. Schue could not see how watery her eyes had become.

More memories flashed across her mind, but just of her and Artie in the choir room.

Matt and Brittany were there, Brittany sitting on Matt's lap with her head against his neck; Puck was strumming the guitar, singing some duet with Rachel softly, both smiling widely at each other; Finn and Santana were talking about something, but whatever it was, it actually made Santana laugh and playfully hit his arm, and Finn grinned at this; Kurt and Mercedes were in deep conversation. Everyone seemed in perfect harmony. Everything felt _right_.

For a moment, she felt a warm tingly sensation.

"_Every so often we long to steal  
To the land of what might have been_

_But that doesn't soften the ache we feel  
When reality sets back in_

Then, like before, the scene changed slightly.

It was Quinn who sat with Artie again, in his lap this time, as it had been when they left the choir room. And, like before, she was watching from the piano, looking at all the displays of love and affection. Though they were her friends, at this nonexistent memory, she felt like such an outsider with them. But she couldn't help but notice something was missing.

"_Blithe smile, lithe limb  
She who's winsome  
She wins him_

_Gold hair with a gentle curl  
That's the girl he chose  
And heaven knows  
I'm not that girl_

Then, somewhere in the background, out of her daydream, the piano changed keys, and she realized what was missing.

In her vision, Mike walked through the choir room door and stopped to stand beside her. No one else seemed to notice Mike's entrance, or the fact that they were both there. They just carried on, uninterrupted. His fingers found hers resting on the piano, and her heart leapt, her stomach fluttering.

He took her hand in his, saying something to her, but like everything else, it was soft and muted, so she couldn't hear it.

But she found herself smiling as well, gripping his hand back. He laughed a silent laugh, leading her to two empty chairs.

Then suddenly, they were part of the picture again.

Puck stopped strumming, nodding to Mike, while Rachel smiled and waved at them. Matt punched Mike's shoulder from behind, with Brittany holding onto him and giggling. Finn and Santana were suddenly beside them, Santana nudging Tina's shoulder and saying something she couldn't hear as Finn laughed with Mike. And then Mercedes and Kurt were there, and Quinn and Artie; everyone forming a circle around them.

Things felt complete again.

"_Don't wish, don't start  
Wishing only wounds the heart  
I wasn't meant for the rose and pearl_

_There's a girl a know  
He loves her so_

_I'm not that girl…_"

It was strange, but as the daydream faded in her mind, she was talking to Quinn, the both of them smiling and laughing, as she rested her head against Mike's shoulder, where it seemed to fit perfectly. And, before the image disappeared completely, Mike shifted to drape his arm around her shoulder, bringing her in closer, and she leaned into his chest, smiling contentedly.

That last flash brought the blood rushing back to her cheeks, and she desperately hoped Mr. Schue didn't notice.

"That was amazing, Tina," he was saying when she came back to reality.

"I, um, thanks, Mr. Schue," she stammered when she remembered he was talking to her.

"Did you want to stay in here and run it again while I go get something from my car?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure, I don't mind," she reassured, and watched her teacher leave the room.

She looked back down at the sheet music, strumming her fingers on the piano. In the back of her mind, she'd been wondering why Mr. Schue chose today to ask her to sing this song. Regionals was already over with, and it was almost summer. SO why was he just now giving her a new song to practice?

There was a knocking that made her look up, and she nearly froze as she saw who it was. "…M-Mike…?" she stuttered in surprise.

Mike waved as he let himself in, walking up to the piano to stand beside her. "Hey, Tina."

"What are you still doing here?" she asked.

"I could be asking you the same thing," he reminded.

She blushed. "Well, um, Mr. Schue wanted to work with me on a song."

"Oh," he said before they lapsed into a silence, the only thing disrupting it being the band fumbling their sheet music and instruments.

Then Mike walked around the piano, coming up beside her to look at the sheet music. As their shoulders brushed, more blood flowed to her cheeks, until they felt as if they were burning. Like before in the lunch line, she couldn't help but notice how close they were standing, and how oddly comfortable it felt for Mike, who might as well have been a stranger to her, being that close.

She peeked at him through the corner of her eyes, and saw the way his bangs fell over his eyes slightly, and how seriously he seemed to be studying the music.

"So," he spoke suddenly again, making her jump slightly, "there was something bugging you earlier today?"

Even if he'd posed it at a question, she could tell in his voice he already knew the answer was "yes."

Tina bit her lower lip. "Something like that…"

"Is it Artie?"

She chuckled humorlessly. "Is it that obvious?"

"Not unless you really pay attention," Mike shrugged, which only made Tina's heart skip a beat.

So that meant _Mike_ had been paying attention to _her?_ But why?

In the back of her mind, Brittany's words from earlier at lunch rang a little more loudly in her mind: "_He's totally into you_."

"I mean, I've been seeing him with Quinn a lot lately, and less with you, so I just assumed…" he rambled, but Tina couldn't hear any of it any more.

She just stared at the boy beside her as a wave of realization seemed to wash over her. This was the boy who was a popular football jock. The boy who, despite this popularity, was once too shy to dance in front of others, despite it being his passion. The boy who was a perfect stranger to her in the beginning in the year, but was now, along with the others, one of her only friends.

Could this same boy she was seeing actually _like_ her like that?

He turned to look at her, most likely wondering why she wasn't responding, and she didn't get embarrassed for getting caught staring.

Instead, she stared at him straight in the eye, her eyebrows furrowed delicately, as if asking him something silently.

And he stared back, not at all bothered by the way she was looking at him, or how close they now stood.

Finally, he spoke again. "I never gave you an answer."

"An answer to what?"

"To why I'm still here, after school," he explained. "It's because I've been working on something with the band after school for the past few days."

"Working on something?" she repeated in slight confusion. "Do you mean… like a song?"

He shrugged as he pulled up a stool. "Something like that. Want to hear it?"

"Um… sure," she agreed, walking over to one of the chairs in front of him and sitting down in it, trying to ignore the way her heart was pounding violently in her chest.

As he sat down on the stool, he looked back at the band, which seemed to be waiting for his cue, and nodded. "I've been trying to sing it for someone in particular," he explained as the music started, turning back to face Tina. His lips quirked upward as he added, "She's been a little down in the dumps lately, so I thought I'd try and cheer her up."

Tina blinked in confusion. He couldn't be talking about _her_ could he? And what was with that smile?

"_Beauty queen of only eighteen, she  
Had some trouble with herself_

_He was always there to help her, she  
Always belonged to someone else_

Tina's eyes widened slightly as she recognized the song.

Mike seemed to notice this as well, because his smile got a little wider.

"_I drove for miles and miles and  
Wound up at your door_

_I've had you so many times  
But somehow, I want more_

He cocked his eyebrow at her, suddenly his smile changing into a serious look she had a feeling he was trying to make comical.

And it worked. Tina bit her lower lip to stifle the giggles she suddenly felt coming up, though it didn't help as he made large, purposefully awkward hand gestures to the lyrics.

"_I don't mind spending everyday  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain  
Look for the girl with a broken smile  
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile_

_And she will be loved  
And she will be loved_

As he exited the chorus into the second verse, his expression shifted again.

She practically felt the change in him: from comical to a little deeper and more serious. He stared straight into her eyes, an expression she faintly recognized crossing his features. She felt as if she were being hypnotized. Her skin felt tingly and warm, her cheeks were flushed, her head felt light-headed, and her lips parted in awe. Brittany's words rung again in her head.

"_Tap on my window,  
Knock on my door, I  
Want to make you feel beautiful_

_I know I tend to get so insecure  
Doesn't matter anymore_

They continued to stare into each other's eyes with such intensity you could almost feel it.

The way he was looking at her just wasn't right. It was almost as if… as if the song really _was_ meant for her.

At that thought, her heart fluttered and her stomach leapt.

"_It's not always rainbows and butterflies,  
It's compromise that moves us along  
Yea_

_My heart is full and  
My door's always open  
You come anytime you want, yeah_

He edged off of his stool so that he was practically standing.

She watched his actions in confusion, though he continued to sing, staring straight at her.

"_I don't mind spending everyday  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain  
Look for the girl with a broken smile  
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile_

_And she will be loved  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved_

And then he got off of the stool completely, walking over to her and dropping onto one knee before her.

She gasped slightly, instinctively moving to stand up, until he caught her hand. His eyebrows rose slightly, and she sank back into her chair.

"_I know where you hide  
Alone in your car  
Know all of the things  
That make you who you are_

_I know that goodbye  
Means nothing at all  
Comes back and makes me  
Catch her every time she falls_

_Yeah…_

_Tap on my window,  
Knock on my door, I  
Want to make you feel beautiful…_

Then he gulped slightly, almost nervously, and squeezed her hand a little, and placed his other hand over their joined hands.

She didn't know what suddenly came over her, but she squeezed his hand back, and played along, adding her other hand to the pile.

That put a smile back on his face, and she blushed slightly at that smile, but happily returned it, giggling softly.

"_I don't mind spending everyday  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain  
Look for the girl with a broken smile  
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile_

_And she will be loved  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved_

_Yeah… Yeah-yeah…_

_I don't mind spending everyday  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain._"

Mike cleared his throat, laughing somewhat nervously again, as the song came to a close.

Tina beamed at him. "That was amazing," she said, not sure whether or not the shakiness in her voice was because of his performance or because he was still down on one knee before her with their hands still together. "I, um," she gulped, laughing nervously as she sat herself up a little more. "I didn't know you were such a great singer."

He smiled. "You're pretty great yourself."

She laughed. "Whoever that song is for, they're going to love it. I know I did."

"Well," he started slowly, "then I guess it worked."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "What worked?"

He laughed lightly. "I thought it might've been obvious by now," he admitted. "That song was for you."

She blinked, and just when she thought she couldn't blush any harder, she felt even _more_ blood rush to her face. God, she should've looked like a stop sign by now.

"You're… I mean… you're joking right?" she stumbled over her words trying to get them out. "Because I mean, that means Brittany was right, and—"

He arched an eyebrow at Brittany's name. "Brittany?"

Suddenly, she felt embarrassed for bringing it up. "She, uh…" she hesitated. "During lunch, she said… she said you were into me."

He smiled. "Brittany was _right_ about something? This can't be good…"

She laughed at that, probably a little harder than necessary, but he just watched her as her laughter subsided, his expression becoming amused. When her laughter died down into soft giggles, she said, "Oh, I'm sorry. That was stupid, I shouldn't have laughed so hard."

He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

"But, um… How did you know you were going to find me here?"

"Oh, I asked Mr. Schue to bring you."

She blinked, completely dumbfounded once more. "What?"

"Well I was talking to him about using the choir room and the band for this song, and it somehow got out, so he said he'd help me," Mike shrugged.

She blinked rapidly for a few more seconds, before laughing again, shaking her head. "You're absolutely crazy."

"And we like crazy, yes?"

"Absolutely."

He laughed, leaning forward and kissing her cheek gingerly.

At first, she was slightly stunned at this.

Then she beamed at him, mimicking his actions as he pulled back, and leaning in to kiss _his_ cheek.

So, yeah, maybe for Artie, she wasn't _that girl_. Maybe she never would be. But that was okay.

Because Mike Chang?

Mike Change was _totally_ into her.

* * *

**A/n.**

**Songs Used:** "I'm Not That Girl" from Wicked; "She Will Be Loved" by Maroon5

Cheesy ending, I know; I couldn't find out how to end it properly. But this is how I'd picture Mike and Tina as a couple – stronger emotions in fewer words. Sorry if the story seems rushed. Everything will be written in 8 chapters (a week + a sort of epilogue, you could call it, I guess). Short and sweet, and to the point. I'm just afraid if I take on a bigger project than that on my first fic for this series and these couples, it wouldn't turn out well.

Also, between writing chapters I got bored and started editing Glee pics into avatars and banners, sort of (though the "avatars" are _way_ too big to be called "avatars"). They're not really good ones since I only do them online, but they're for fun and since they don't have much fan-made art on Glee I thought I'd try adding to it. The links are on my profile, so go ahead and take a look!

**Special thanks to my reviewers for Chapter 1:** anonymous dream, ChamberlinofMusic, b-mystique, Mrs . Avey . Emmett . McCartyx, LOVEtaylorlautner, Maiqu

And special thanks to everyone who favorited/subscribed to this story!

_Love it? Hate it? Please review it!_


	3. Wednesday

**Characters/Pairings.** Puck/Rachel, Mike/Tina, Will/Shelby, Quinn/Artie, Finn/Santana; implied Matt/Brittany; with Kurt and Mercedes, of course!

Disclaimer: Glee © Fox; All songs used © their rightful artists

* * *

**And I Need You Now**

Chapter Three: Wednesday

.

One thing Santana Lopez _did not do_: regret.

When you have to climb over your own teammates and friends to get to what you want, you learn not to let your emotions get the better of you. But the one emotion she never, ever, _ever_, let get the better of her was regret. Considering how many guys (and, well, Brittany) she's slept with, her philosophy seemed to be working.

Until she came to glee, and that ice around her heart she'd spent so hard to keep frozen began to thaw.

She cried her first tears in a long time because glee had been there to catch them.

She laughed and smiled, _sincerely_, for the first in a long time because glee had been the reason.

She first regretted sleeping with someone without it truly meaning anything was because of glee, and because of one Finn Hudson.

His words still rung deep in her, even weeks after they'd slept together in that decrepit motel.

"_I don't feel anything. Because it didn't mean anything_."

Santana slammed her locker, her heart suddenly heavy in her chest.

She remembered that night all too clearly. After a silent car ride, he dropped her back off at home, not a word passing between them. She remembered it was really cold that morning, and she hadn't even bothered to make up an excuse to her mom why she hadn't changed yet. She just ran up to her room, locked the door, and cried and cried and cried.

Why had that time felt different than all the other times she's slept with a guy? Was it because it was with Finn? Then why had it affected her so much?

Truth be told, she'd pondered the real reasons after that night only once before, and the conclusion she came up with was frightening.

Because Santana Lopez did not fall for anyone, especially Finn Hudson.

She hugged her binder closer to her chest, shaking the thoughts away.

She was probably just emotional. It had only been about seven weeks since they'd slept together (not that she was counting, or anything) and she's been having one hell of a crappy month. She was tired all the time, kept having to run in and out of the classroom to pee, always felt like throwing up, was constantly dizzy, she was always eating, and now she felt fat. She hate, hate, hated it, whatever it was that was damning her with all this sickness.

She'd figured it was PMSing, and her time of the month soon, but according to her calendar, it wasn't there yet.

Then something went off in Santana's mind.

Frantically, she began fumbling with her combination, and swung the locker door open with such force it crashed into Brittany's.

She checked the calendar she had posted there, and flipped back to last month.

She hadn't marked her period that month.

She flipped back another month, _before_ she'd slept with Finn, and saw the red Sharpie indicating it had come on schedule.

She kept flipping between the two pages, feeling the blood drain from her face, her fingertips suddenly very shaky and numb. Had she just forgotten? No, that was impossible. _Impossible_. She _always_ marked when it was that time of the month; she _needed_ to for precautions. But that had meant… that had meant she missed a cycle.

And then it hit her. _Hard._

She'd _missed_ a cycle.

Holy crap, _she'd missed a cycle_.

The loud bell jarred her back to reality, and she reached in the back of her locker for her small pouch, and threw her binder back in.

She shut her locker again, but instead of heading towards her next class, she darted for the bathroom. The pouch had been her mother's plead for her to keep for "just in case" scenarios. It was filled with things like pepper spray (occasionally she used), an emergency credit card (amazingly, she hadn't used yet; she didn't particularly enjoy the thought of going bankrupt), etc. etc. She'd simply shrugged and agreed to shut her mother's nagging up, but this time around, she was grateful her mama was a paranoid person.

Thankfully, it was empty, and she chose the large stall at the very end and locked it, putting the lid down and sitting herself on top of it.

She dug through the pouch until she pulled out three plastic devices: pregnancy tests.

She'd never, ever thought she'd find herself using these.

As she fumbled with the pregnancy tests, she decided not to check any of them until they were all done.

The back of her mind wandered, trying to piece everything together. When you consider all of the symptoms she'd been feeling, all the timing was perfect. The missed period, the food cravings, the morning sickness, why she was suddenly always emotional about everything… And protection. She'd always used protection, to prevent what happened to Quinn happen to her.

But that night with Finn…

With Finn, there hadn't been any.

Why the hell hadn't she remembered the protection? All she could remember feeling was pleasure.

She usually felt pleasure, but then had been different. Quinn never let Finn get close with her, so to say that Finn was amazing with foreplay (and pleasuring his girl) would be a great understatement. Then, she was actually feeling pleasure that felt like it completed her; pleasure that made her feel warm in different ways.

When she opened her eyes, she hesitated with her hands on the pregnancy tests.

Then she flipped the first one over: one pink cross stared back up at her.

She flipped the second one: another pink cross.

And the third came up with the same results.

She closed her eyes, suddenly feeling very numb.

What the hell was she going to do?

* * *

Santana strolled down the empty hallways, light music playing in the background. She didn't recognize it at first; it was just a repetitive beat she wasn't really bothering to pay attention to. She didn't bother questioning the fact that there was music playing in the hallways, or that the classrooms were all open and empty despite it only being fourth period.

She reached the end of the hallway, and peered out the window. The view was of the football field, where the football team was being drilled by Coach Tanaka.

Her eyes caught sight of the bright red "5" against the white football jersey, and she pressed her palm to the cool glass.

Finn Hudson.

She hadn't realized she had the urge to sing until the lyrics came out of her mouth.

"_Miss Independent  
Miss Self-Sufficient  
Miss 'Keep Your Distance'_

_Miss Unafraid  
Miss 'Out of My Way'  
Miss Don't-Let-A-Man-Interfere_

_Nooo…_

She pushed from the window, turning to walk down the next hallway.

However, she kept her eyes on the football field through the windows that lined the wall, watching them warily.

"_Miss On-Her-Own  
Miss Almost-Grown  
Miss Never-Let-A-Man-Help-Her-Off-Her-Thrown_

_So by keeping her heart protected  
She never ever feel rejected  
Little Miss Apprehensive_

_I said, 'Oooh_

_She fell in love'_

As she reached the staircase she pressed her back to the wall, hands gripping the railing.

Again, her eyes found their way out of the window, and she found herself slowly climbing the steps to see out onto the field.

"_What is this feeling taking over?  
Thinking no one could open her door_

_Surprise,  
It's time  
To feel  
What's real_

_What happened to Miss Independent's  
No longer need to feel defensive?_

_Goodbye,  
Old you  
When love  
Is true_

She pushed the double doors, stepping outside and onto the track.

The football team was on the opposite side of the field, but Finn was the only one whose face she saw; the only one without a helmet on.

She stepped up onto the lower levels of the bleachers, and started strolling down them like she had in the hallways.

"_Miss-Guided Heart  
Miss Play-It-Smart  
Miss 'If You Wanna Use That Line, You Better Not Start'_

_Nooo…_

_But she miscalculated  
She didn't want to end up jaded  
And this Miss decided not to  
Miss out on true love_

She climbed a step higher up the bleachers, reaching halfway across the field.

No one seemed to take notice her existence as she walked through the bleachers and ended on the side that overlooked their practice.

"_So by changing her misconception  
She went in a new direction  
And found inside,  
She felt a connection_

_She fell in love_

She stepped back down to the bottom level of the bleachers, leaning with her hands against the railing.

Then, an image of Finn the night they'd "done the deed" flashed in her mind as he gently pushed her down onto the motel bed. The red light glared through the window, illuminating his face in an eerie glow that sent unfamiliar chills down her spine as his nose grazed her collar bone, and then her neck, and then her cheek, until finally his lips found hers…

She flipped herself around, pressing the small of her back against the railing of the bleachers, and tossed her head back, staring at the blue, cloudless sky.

"_What is this feeling taking over?  
Thinking no one could open her door_

_Surprise,  
It's time  
To feel  
What's real_

_What happened to Miss Independent's  
No longer need to feel defensive?_

_Goodbye,  
Old you  
When love…_

_When love is true…_

She brought her head back down, her hand absently flying to her stomach.

She imagined the unborn child that rested in her at that very moment, and her fingers gripped at her Cheerios uniform.

Slowly, she shifted slightly against the railing, looking over her shoulder and back at Finn.

"_When Miss Independent walked away  
No time for love that came her way_

_She looked in the mirror and thought today,  
'What happened to Miss No-Longer-Afraid?'_

_It took some time for her to see  
How beautiful love could truly_

_No more talk of, 'Why can't that be me?'_

_I'm so glad I finally see…_

Suddenly, she was back in the motel, the red light falling onto her face as she leaned against the dresser, staring at her reflection.

One hand curled into a fist on top of the dresser, while another found its way over her stomach.

"_What is this feeling taking over?  
Thinking no one could open her door_

_Surprise,  
It's time  
To feel  
What's real_

She saw Finn standing behind her through the reflection, his expression not quite blank, but nothing she recognized either.

Then suddenly he had his arms wrapped gingerly around her. His hand fell gently over the one she had on her stomach, and her other hand fell over his, as if that was the way it was supposed to be. She stared at this picture—the people in the reflection looked the way a couple should. It was foreign to her; something she was definitely not expecting, but she didn't fight it.

Instead, she closed her eyes, leaning her head back into his shoulder, and his other hand came up to stroke her arm gently, and she felt safe.

"_What happened to Miss Independent's  
No longer need to feel defensive?_

_Goodbye,  
Old you  
When love_

_When love is true_"

* * *

She reopened her eyes, feeling more stressed out than she'd felt when she'd closed them.

Had she really had _that_ kind of daydream? God, she was around glee _way_ too much…

The bell rang, and as she searched for her phone to check the time, she found the three pregnancy tests, all cross-side up, on the back of the toilet beside her cell. She didn't know whether or not she wanted to glare at them or cry, which kind of freaked her out. She just grabbed her phone and shook her head. She was _not_ going to cry.

According to her phone, that was the lunch bell. Had she really been in that stall for an entire period?

She sighed, dumping everything back into her purse, but shoving one pregnancy test and shoving it into her pocket with her cell.

As she exited the stall, she tried doing it as casually as possible, which must've worked, because two freshmen girls came in talking and walked right past her.

She pushed the bathroom door open and walked into the hallway, where students were filing out of their classrooms and heading towards their lockers or the cafeteria.

She reached her locker, and as she absently turned the dial, she contemplated telling Finn.

Not that there was any debate there. Of course she was going to tell him. Whatever she would do after then would be decided when she got to that part, but that was that. This decision surprised her, however. Normally, when she contemplated ever being impregnated, she would vow to keep it a secret and then get an abortion; simply wipe her slate clean.

But, as the pregnancy test in her pocket suddenly felt like a few hundred pounds, she knew she would be telling Finn regardless of the end results.

She laughed bitterly at the irony. So Finn hadn't knocked up his ex-girlfriend, whom he loved so much and thought he'd impregnated, but he _had_ knocked up _her_, the exact opposite of Quinn Fabray, and whose feelings of her she wasn't sure about.

She tossed her pouch in and shut the locker, looking towards the cafeteria doors.

Then she walked towards the cafeteria, spotting Finn where he sat with Matt and Brittany, and Mike and Tina (_Hmm_, Santana thought to herself, _that was new_), at a table.

Her hand slipped into her pocket, grasping the pregnancy test as she neared the table until finally—

"Santana?" Finn asked as she reached them.

"Oh, I found her," Brittany said to Matt, who just laughed and nodded.

Santana ignored her best friend's comment, staring straight down at Finn.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, worry entering his tone.

She bit back another bitter laugh. As if he _actually_ worried about her. Yeah right.

Instead of answering, she wordlessly grabbed his hand, and before he could protest or ask what she was doing, she slipped the pregnancy test onto his palm, curled his fingers around it to hide it, spun on her heels, and stalked back out of the cafeteria doors.

She kept walking at a rather inhuman pace, wanting to get as far away as possible when the message sank into the dense guy's head.

At this point, it was better not to look back.

* * *

His reply came in the form of Mike and Tina, who approached her at the end of school with their hands laced together. She'd wondered if he'd purposely sent the new couple as some sort of way to rub it in her face, though when they delivered Finn's message for her to meet him in the auditorium, she nodded in response and left, no yelling or cursing or snarky comments.

(Yeah, today was _full_ of surprises.)

She hadn't even noticed her hand was on her stomach when she was walking to the auditorium until she saw her reflection in the window.

_God_, she was getting soft.

Her entire life of building up walls, of freezing over the ice around her heart, and of shutting her emotions for her own protection practically gone over the course of 7 weeks all because she'd slept with Finn Hudson, and was now "mother-to-be plus child." But still, much to her dismay, in the back of her mind, she started thinking in _that_ direction—the one filled with white picket fences, kids playing on the backyard swings, playing Frisbee with the family dog, wrapped in each other's arms on a lazy Sunday afternoon…

Santana shoved the auditorium doors probably harder than necessary, trying to shake those images out of her head.

She spotted him sitting in a seat in the first row, hunched over with his face in his hands. Hah. As if he had as much stress as her.

As she reached him, she opened her mouth, about to fire it all at him—_yes_ you're the father, _no_ I'm not planning on keeping it, _yes_ I'm planning on carrying on as if none of this happened and you sure as hell will too—but the moment he looked up at her, the words got caught in her throat.

He stood up, and for a moment, they were just standing there, silently staring at each other.

Then she cleared her throat, determined to sound as indifferent as usual, but not quite sure whether she pulled it off. "Well, get on with it."

He opened his mouth to speak, then decided against it, and then stared at the floor. This was getting nowhere.

"Look, if I don't need to be here—"

"Don't," he said suddenly, instinctively grabbing her wrist though she hadn't even moved.

She arched an eyebrow. "Found your voice again?"

He ignored that. "You're positive it's mine?"

"Yes," she shot.

"And are you… are you getting an…"

"I don't know." The words were out of her mouth before she could process it.

He looked at her strangely. "You're not getting an abortion?"

"I said _I don't know_," she snapped. "Why does it matter to you? You have no part in this."

"To hell with that, Santana, of course I do," he shot back, and she had to admit it, she wasn't expecting this outburst from him. She flinched back from him, and his facial expression softened immediately. "No… I mean, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" He cleared his throat, shaking his head. "I don't care what you say. We're in this together."

"No, we're not," she corrected. "I'm carrying this child and—"

"I'm the father of that child," he reminded, his words shutting her up in an instant. "_We're_ the parents of that child."

She was about to retort, but found she had no argument. Instead, she asked, "How can I be sure you'll stick around once the deal's done?"

"I'll prove it to you," he insisted.

"Words only run so deep," she reminded. "_I_ would know."

"I just… I'm not really good with words. But I've got another idea."

She rolled her eyes. "You're not going to sing, are you?"

He smiled like a child who'd just been caught red-handed.

She sighed. "I'm not Rachel, Finn. You can't just sing to me and expect me to fall into your arms."

"Just let me sing," he insisted. "And if you really don't believe me, then you can do whatever you want."

She was about to shoot this down with a flat-out "no," but decided to humor him. "Fine," she muttered, sitting herself down and crossing her arms over her chest. "But there's no band. You're going to do it a cappella?"

He shrugged, sliding his hands into his pockets. "I'll give it a shot."

He cleared his throat, and she arched an eyebrow at him, waiting.

"_This time, this place  
Misused, mistakes_

_Too long, too late  
Who was I to make you wait?_

_Just one chance,  
Just once breath  
Just in case there's just one left_

'_Cause you know…  
You know…  
You know…_

Despite his hesitant start, the confidence in his voice was undeniable.

He stared straight into her eyes, something she couldn't help but find uncomfortable, but for entirely different reasons.

It made her feel too exposed, like he was trying to see past what was on the outside, and he was succeeding.

"_I love you  
I've loved you all along_

_And I miss you  
Been far away for far too long_

_I keep dreaming you'll be with me  
And you never know_

_Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore_

Her hands curled tightly as those thoughts kept flooding back into her mind.

Their life. Their house. Their yard. Their families.

Their child.

"_On my knees  
I'll ask  
Last chance for one last dance_

'_Cause with you  
I'd withstand  
All of hell to hold your hand_

_I'd give it all  
I'd give for us  
Give anything,  
But I won't give up_

'_Cause you know…  
You know…  
You know…_

She was seeing flashes from her daydream again across her mind.

Her standing at her locker, and Finn coming up to her, greeting her with a peck on her cheek.

Her looking over the football field from the bleachers, and Finn looking up, and waving as he spotted her.

Her being held in his arms as they stared at their reflection, their hands over her stomach, though instead of the motel in the background, it was a furnished master bedroom like the ones you saw in showcases. The walls were decorated of photos—of him and her, of her and him, of them and child. The room was brighter; the picture was happier. _They_ were happier.

"_I love you  
I've loved you all along_

_And I miss you  
Been far away for far too long_

_I keep dreaming you'll be with me  
And you never know_

_Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore_

She felt a stinging in her eyes, and her vision blurred, but it wasn't until she blinked and saw her eyelashes sparkling did she realize her eyes were watery.

It felt so strange. She'd been crying a lot more frequently in the past few months than she had her entire life, yet the tears still surprised her whenever they showed up.

"_So far away (so far away)  
Been far away for far too long_

_So far away (so far away)  
Been far away for far too long_

_But you know…  
You know…  
You know…_

She wanted to tell him to stop singing. She got the message loud and clear – he wasn't going anywhere without her.

If he continued at this rate, she really _was_ going to fall into his arms.

"_I wanted  
I wanted you to stay_

'_Cause I needed  
I need to hear you say_

And it was all because of glee and because of him. They made her soft; they made her feel real again. He turned her into a Rachel Berry, who cried and cried and cried so easily; he turned her into a Quinn Fabray, who needed someone to lean on for support. He'd turned her into _that_ girl, who fantasized of a big wedding and who would be her maid of honor and where would they live.

But that wasn't the scary part. The scary part was that she didn't _mind_ being _that_ girl for him. Only him.

"'_I love you  
I've loved you all along_

_And I forgive you  
For being away for far too long'_

She was glad the band wasn't there. She was glad that it was just them in the auditorium.

Only _he_ would be the one to witness her run from her seat, running into his arms, bursting into tears, and wanting nothing to be held.

He squeezed her back tightly, not even faltering on the words or the notes. He just dropped his volume, singing to her softly like he was whispering in her ear.

"_So keep breathing,  
Cause I'm not leaving you anymore_

_Believe it,  
Hold onto me and never let me go_

_Keep breathing,  
Cause I'm not leaving you anymore_

_Believe it,  
Hold onto me and never let me go_

_Hold onto me and never let me go  
Hold onto me and never let me go  
Hold onto me and never let me go…_"

* * *

**A/n.**

**Songs used:** "Miss Independent" by Kelly Clarkson; "Far Away" by Nickelback

Whoa. This was definitely more serious than I thought it'd turn out, but considering everything that happened, it kind of needs to be. Sorry if the daydream scene confused you—I thought it was fun how on the show they'd have daydream sequences where they're singing rather than cheesily bursting out into song like _High School Musical_ or something, so I wanted to try and add it. I'm not sure if I captured their characters right. This _is_ my first Glee fic ever, so help me please! Tell me what I'm doing wrong! Thank you (:

**Special thanks to my reviewers for Chapter 2:** Maiqu, sierrafromwa, distorted realities, b-mystique, LOVEtaylorlautner, Megan Nichole, anonymous dream, ChamberlinofMusic, sierrastarlight

And special thanks to everyone who favorited/subscribed to this story!

_Love it? Hate it? Please review it!_


	4. Thursday

**Characters/Pairings.** Puck/Rachel, Mike/Tina, Will/Shelby, Quinn/Artie, Finn/Santana; implied Matt/Brittany; with Kurt and Mercedes, of course!

Disclaimer: Glee © Fox; All songs used © their rightful artists

* * *

**And I Need You Now**

Chapter Four: Thursday

.

Rachel sighed, surprised at her lack of energy. It was nearly the end of school so she should've been as hyped up as she usually was.

But lately she's been feeling nothing but stressed out and tired. Sure, she has fun with the rest of the glee-clubbers after school, but other than that, her day seems very sluggish. Even as the bell _finally_ rang, dismissing them from fourth period and signaling the beginning of lunch, she couldn't seem to muster enough energy to burst from the room like she'd wanted to the entire hour.

As she reached her locker and automatically began spinning the dial to her combo, she thought back to Monday.

Maybe she really needed a break. Skipping just _two_ periods wouldn't hurt…

Almost as if in cue, Puck rounded the corner and into the hallway, and she tossed her binder in and shut her locker, hurrying to catch him.

"Noah," she called, grabbing his wrist, and he whipped back around. She looked around, wondering if anyone was paying attention, before saying, "Is that offer still available?"

His face brightened up immediately. "Hell yeah."

Normally she would've rolled her eyes at his eagerness to ditch, but this time around, she absolutely loved him for it.

He took her hand, cutting an easy path through the students against the flow of traffic and towards the parking lot.

"Wait," she said, doubt suddenly flowing into her mind, "shouldn't we at least wait until a little into lunch to not be as conspicuous?"

"Do you really want to question the master at this?" he teased.

She rolled her eyes but didn't complain. Frankly, at this point, she just wanted to get away.

As they rounded the corner into a less-crowded hallway, they slowed into a casual walking pace, and in the back of her mind, she was reminded of when they'd briefly gone out. Maybe it was because of the way she was hanging of his arm; or maybe it was because she was slightly pressed against his muscular arm and it brought back the feeling of his arms wrapped around her slender form when they'd made out on her bed.

Whatever the reason, the sensations were all flooding back into her mind, and she liked it.

She squinted as they walked outside and into the parking lot, the sunlight being a lot brighter than she'd thought.

"So what made you change your mind?" he asked conversationally as they walked.

"AP World History." She said the words like they were venom.

Puck laughed.

"It's not funny!" she whined.

"_You_ signed up for that class," he reminded.

She opened her mouth, about to retort, though paused when she realized he was right.

_He_ was right? This was _not_ her day!

"This is just _not_ my day," she groaned.

Puck laughed again, draping an arm around her shoulder and rubbing it soothingly. "That's what I'm here for."

She smiled. "Thank you, Noah," she told him, and he looked down at her. "For everything."

He shrugged. "You're welcome." But he had that goofy smile on his face that she loved (though would never admit) and it made her giggle.

"Besides," he added, "us Jews got to stick together, right?"

She laughed but rolled her eyes. "Why do you always bring up the Jewish factor?"

"Because we're a couple of—"

"Good looking Jews?" she guessed, a glimmer in her eyes.

He smirked, stopping at his pick-up truck. "No. I was going to say _badass_ Jews."

She rolled her eyes again as he unlocked his truck and opened the passenger door, holding it for her and gesturing inside. "In you go."

She climbed in without hesitation, sliding into the seat as he shut the door, and pulling on her seatbelt as he walked around the hood and got into the driver's seat. When the door was shut, he reversed out of the spot and drove through the parking lot and onto the road. Surprisingly, even after they were already on the road, Rachel remained silent.

Puck glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She had her elbow against the window, her chin in her palm, and was staring at nothing in particular.

He had to admit he's seen Rachel go through a lot of different moods (often all in the time span of a minute or less) but lately he's seen her distant and distracted, and he didn't like it one bit. Not that it meant anything. He was just being a good friend.

Yeah.

Just as he was about to finally break the silence, she reached for the radio and turned it on, turning up the volume.

"Sorry," she said after he'd given her a look. "Do you mind?"

"No, go ahead."

She flipped through the stations until she heard something she liked.

He arched an eyebrow at her, as if to say_, Really? Taylor Swift in MY truck?_

"What?" she asked defensively. "Taylor Swift is good for the soul."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

She hummed for a few seconds until the intro was over, then (not so surprisingly) she sang along.

"_I don't think that passenger seat  
Has ever looked this good to me_

_He tells me about his night  
And I count the colors in his eyes_

She relaxed a little more in his seat, closing her eyes and smiling as she sang.

He found it relieving to see that she was returning to her old happy-go-lucky self, if not very distracting (especially for his driving).

"_He'll never fall in love, he swears  
As he runs his fingers through his hair_

_I'm laughing 'cause I hope he's wrong_

_And I don't think it ever crossed his mind  
He tells a joke, I fake a smile_

_But I know all his favorite songs_

She cracked one eye open and caught him staring.

Then that look he gave her was _so_ – well, let's just say that it took several cars honking at him to get him back onto his lane.

She laughed at that.

"_And I could tell you  
His favorite color's green  
He loves to argue  
Born on the 17th_

_His sister's beautiful  
He has his father's eyes  
And if you asked me if I love him…_

_I'd lie_

Absently, her hand found his in the middle, and he didn't pull back as she laced their fingers together.

She felt the same rush flow through her system as it had when they dated: a tingly sensation she could never hope to describe, but whatever it was, it gave her a thrill.

"_He looks around the room  
Innocently overlooks the truth_

_Shouldn't a light go on?  
Doesn't he know that I've had it memorized for so long?_

_He sees everything in black and white  
Never let nobody see him cry_

_I don't let nobody see me wishing he was mine_

She reached over, running her fingers through his Mohawk, and the truck swerved as he swatted her hand away.

It took a large truck behind them honking furiously for Puck to get his hands back on the wheel and steer them back into the right lane.

"_And I could tell you  
His favorite color's green  
He loves to argue  
Born on the 17th_

_His sister's beautiful  
He has his father's eyes  
And if you asked me if I love him…_

_I'd lie_

Puck glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

Her cheeks were flushed, that ear-to-ear smile was plastered on her face, and she looked so innocent and childish as she sang with that usual glimmer in her eyes.

That was much better; Rachel Berry in any other mood but euphoric (with the exception of her tantrums, but even those were becoming less and less frequent) was wrong.

And it was because he was being a good friend and he was concerned in a _friendly_ way. Nothing else.

"_He stands there, then walks away  
My God, if I could only say  
I'm holding every breath for you_

Hah! Yeah right. Even _he_ couldn't deny the strange feelings between the two of them.

Most people called it "love" but that wasn't right; Puckzilla's badass-ness could not be tied down.

So what if they made a badass couple of good-looking Jews?

"_He'd never tell you  
But he can play guitar  
I think he can see through  
Everything but my heart_

_First thought when I wake up  
Is, 'My God, he's beautiful'  
So I put on my make-up,  
And pray for a miracle_

As they came to a stop at a red light, he looked over at her, and she turned her head towards him.

It felt as if there was a strange jolt that passed between them as their eyes met.

He knew she must've felt something, too, because her eyebrows furrowed delicately, and her smile faded slightly, as though she was suddenly confused.

He gulped without realizing it, and her eyes fluttered as she quickly averted her eyes; he could've sworn her cheeks were pinker than they had been about five seconds ago.

"_Yes I could tell you  
His favorite color's green  
He loves to argue  
Oh, and it kills me_

_His sister's beautiful  
He has his father's eyes  
And if you asked me if I love him…_

_If you ask me if I love him…_

_I'd lie_"

And that's when he realized that – _fuck _– he was in love with Rachel Berry.

* * *

"I'll have to admit, that was pretty fun, Rach," he said as he came out of 7-11, two extra-large grape slushies in his hands.

He walked up to where she was waiting, sitting at the edge of the open trunk. Rachel beamed as she accepted the slushie he'd extended towards her, taking the straw and sticking it in. "The part that where we were singing along to Taylor Swift, or the part where our singing almost got us into an accident?" she asked.

"Both."

She laughed. "You truly are one unique individual, Noah," she said, sipping from her drink.

He arched an eyebrow at her, an amuse expression crossing his face as he watched her lick her lips.

"Mmm. Grape," she sighed.

"I knew I was right," he said.

"Right about what?"

"Grape's still your favorite," he pointed out.

She smiled and nodded. "I haven't had a grape slushie since we—" But she stopped herself suddenly, biting her lower lip and quickly looking away.

Her words were like a small jab, and he couldn't really figure out why. Of course he knew what she'd been about to say. _Since we were dating_.

She cleared her throat rather awkwardly, and as she turned back to him, saying, "So, Noah, how—" she was cut off not by him, or a slushie to her face, for that matter. No, she was cut off by a suddenly wet, ice-cold sensation falling onto her thigh that was now slowly trickling. As she looked down, she saw the purple slush sitting between her legs, and her head snapped up to Puck.

It was silent for a few moments, and judging by how their cups were angled, she guessed she must've hit into his, so he accidently spilt on her.

"Rach, I'm so sorry," he blurted out once he found his voice again.

She blinked rapidly for a few seconds.

He looked at her. "Rachel…?" he asked hesitantly.

But he was met with the _last_ thing he'd been expecting—chunks of purple slushie being tossed at his face.

He blinked in surprise, and heard her giggles shortly afterward.

Oh, it was _on_.

"So _that's_ how it's gonna be, eh, Rach?" he teased, advancing slowly like a predator to its prey.

She squealed and shiver all at once as he poured some down the back of her shirt.

"_Noah!_" she exclaimed, taking a handful of her own slushie and tossing it at him.

It was kind of a good thing that they'd parked in the corner of the lot away from all the other cars, for purple slushie chunks were flying, hitting his truck and completely drenching them in the process. They chased each other around the truck, throwing icy purple chunks back and forth while in a fit of laughter. Puck, in the very back of his mind, was vaguely reminded of him and Quinn messing around in the kitchen "baking."

And he couldn't help but find himself liking him and Rachel throwing chunks of grape slushie at each other _much _more.

Once her cup was empty, she dropped it to the floor and giggled as she backed away from him.

"Come on, Rach," he teased, taking a step towards her with every step she took back.

Eventually, however, her back hit the truck, and she was caught between it and Puck, who was now holding up his nearly-empty slushie cup.

She bit her lower lip. "Do it," she dared. She attempted to sound… well, anything _but_ as giggly as she actually had.

And he poured the remainder of his drink down the front of her shirt.

"_Noah!_" she squealed, shuddering at the cold.

"What?" he asked innocently, which he certainly _wasn't_. "You said, 'do it.'"

"I thought you were going to pour it on my head," she explained.

"Woops."

She rolled her eyes but laughed. "_Look_ at us."

And he did, and they _were_ pretty ridiculous. It was just the two of them standing there, their shirts almost entirely soaked through, and icy chunks still sliding off of their arms and shoulders. He reached up to comb his fingers through her hair, which was slightly damp and slightly knotted from their little slushie war.

His hand rested by her one of her rosy cheeks, and she beamed up at him. "Please tell me you have towels in your truck."

"I have towels in my truck."

"You do?"

"No."

She hit him.

"_Ow!_ Jeez, since when were you so abusive?"

She ignored that. "How are we supposed to come to glee like _this?_"

"Chillax, Rach," he said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "It's just our shirts. Do you have a change of clothes?"

"No. I haven't been slushied for awhile so I haven't felt the need to keep spare clothes in my locker anymore."

He contemplated this. "'Kay. We'll stop by my place before we head back then."

"Huh?"

"You can borrow something dry."

"But I – okay," she agreed. No use trying to argue with Noah Puckerman. As he started to move away from her, she quickly added, "And Noah." He looked back at her. She beamed, and stretched up to place a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for today. This was very sweet and chivalrous of you."

He smiled back. "You're welcome."

* * *

"You listen to a band named 'Smash Mouth'?" Rachel questioned as she pulled out their CD from the glove compartment.

"They've got some pretty badass songs, you know," he said.

"I highly doubt a band that goes by the name 'Smash Mouth' would have quality songs."

"Oh, do you?" he asked taking the CD from her and popping it in. "We shall see about that."

She laughed lightly, stretching her legs (well, as far as she possibly could) in her seat and shifting to make herself comfortable. She closed her eyes like before, taking in the warm spring day as he exited the parking lot and turned the corner, heading back towards school. He had the heater on very low, as well, considering they were both still wet from the melted slushies.

As the first track stated, she cracked open one eye and looked at him as he was tapping on the steering wheel to the beat.

And then she laughed lightly as he sang along.

"_I thought love was only true in fairytales  
Meant for someone else but not for me_

_Love was out to get me  
That's the way it seemed_

_Disappointment haunted all of my dreams_

He looked over at her, and watched as she placed a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her giggles.

He reached over and ruffled his hands in his hair, and she laughed, trying to push him away.

"_And then I saw her face  
Now I'm a believer_

_Not a trace  
Of doubt in my mind_

_I'm in love_

_Oooh…_

_I'm a believer  
I couldn't leave her  
If I tried_

She tossed her head back and laughed, and a smirk crept on his face as he turned his attention back to the road.

But she couldn't help but find herself still staring at him, and that strange sensation was building at the pit of her stomach once more.

Her eyes fluttered as she watched him sing, and she felt the blood rush to her cheeks.

"_I thought love was more or less a given thing  
The more I gave, the less I got  
Oh yeah_

_What's the use of trying?  
All you get is pain_

_When I wanted sunshine I got rain_

She felt her heart thumping, and she gulped. Hard.

No. This was wrong! She shouldn't have been feeling this way.

This was Noah Puckerman she was thinking about! He was "kind of a jerk." A rebel. Nothing but trouble.

Right?

"_And then I saw her face  
Now I'm a believer_

_Not a trace  
Of doubt in my mind_

_I'm in love_

_Oooh…_

_I'm a believer  
I couldn't leave her  
If I tried_

No, he wasn't all of those things. Not anymore. At least, not with her.

He was sweet and chivalrous; a gentleman. When they'd dated, she'd been opened up to the part of him she didn't think he was capable of. When it was them, sitting on her bed, him playing his guitar and humming softly in the background to whatever she'd been singing, it was just them. Not Rachel Berry, the spoiled glee star, or Noah Puckerman, the badass delinquent jock.

It was just Rachel and Noah. And she liked it like that.

"_What's the use of trying?  
All you get is pain_

_When I wanted sunshine I got rain_

_And then I saw her face  
Now I'm a believer_

_Not a trace  
Of doubt in my mind_

_I'm in love_

_Oooh…_

_I'm a believer  
I couldn't leave her  
If I tried_

She brought her legs up onto the seat, hugging her knees close to her chest and resting her head on her kneecaps, looking over at him.

He looked back at her, smiling, and she laughed back in response. She was surprised how comfortable this was.

"_Then I saw her face  
Now I'm a believer_

_Not a trace  
Of doubt in my mind_

_Now I'm a believer  
Yea yea yea yea yea yea_

_I'm a believer_

_Then I saw her face_

_I'm a believer_

_Not a trace  
Of doubt in my mind_

_I'm a believer_"

* * *

"Are you sure your mother won't mind me being here?" she asked again as he led her up the stairs and into his room.

He pushed the door open, heading straight to his closet. "That depends. Are you Jewish?"

She blinked in confusion. "Yes…"

"She won't mind."

Rachel laughed. "I guess that explains a lot."

He chuckled, turning around and tossing her a clean towel. "Here, dry yourself off with that. I'll go get you one of my mom's shirts." She was about to protest again about how it wasn't necessary, but she stopped herself, smiling fondly as he walked passed her and across the hallway.

He picked a plain shirt – baby pink. He kind of figured pink was Rachel's signature color, anyway, so it should be fine.

When he walked back into his room, the last thing he was expecting to find (okay, let's get real; this was _Puck_ – it wasn't the _last_ thing on his mind) was Rachel sitting on his bed in her bra, drying herself with the towel he'd given, with her shirt sitting in a bundle in her lap.

He froze in the doorway, his eyes wide for a moment.

When she looked up at him, his gaze cut to the closet door on the opposite side of the room, and he cleared his throat, tossing the shirt in her direction.

"Sorry," he muttered.

She giggled. She actually _giggled_. What the hell?

"Noah, it's alright, I don't mind," she reassured as she slipped the shirt on. "It's safe to look now."

He didn't look right away, just in case. "What the hell was that about, Rach?"

"It's easier to dry myself off without my damp shirt on," she pointed out as if it should've been obvious; if that was a good enough reason for her to be shirtless on his bed _in his room_.

"Yeah, but still…"

"Don't tell me that I embarrassed you, Noah."

She was _enjoying_ this! Hah! It was on.

In one swift motion, he grabbed the towel from her hand, chucking it to a random part of the room, and pinned her down on the bed beneath him. And the fact that _she smiled_ up at him, as if she were completely expecting this (and completely _wanting_ this) from him, made him press his lips to hers before he could even think about it.

She returned it the kiss eagerly, and suddenly, it was like them making out on her bed again, except the roles were reversed this time.

When they parted for air, she breathed, "You're so predictable, Noah."

"You talk too much."

And he tugged on the bottom of her shirt, deciding that he liked it much better without the damn thing on.

* * *

**A/n.**

**Songs used:** "I'd Lie" by Taylor Swift; "I'm a Believer" by Smash Mouth

First of all, Happy Father's Day (well, it just _turned_ Father's Day by the time I'm writing this.)

Second of all, sorry if this chapter sucks. I most likely will go back and re-do it once the entire story is over. Some parts I really liked, but some parts could use _a lot_ of work. Oh, and about the ending scene… In my head, I don't think they would "do the deed"; it'd be more like just passionate making out. But hey, if you want to believe they did, then be my guest.

And third of all, I need your opinion: what would you rather have for an ending? I have the very _very _last song chosen, but thinking back on it, I wasn't sure about the other two ending songs (because the last chapter has 3 songs total!) So I thought I'd try and get some feedback. Funny, more comical and upbeat ending? – or – more serious, fluffy, romantic ending? It's your decision.

**Special thanks to my reviewers for Chapter 3:** distorted realities, anonymous dream, troryrogan, ChamberlinofMusic, b-mystique, Isilady, andyl611, sierrafromwa, Maiqu, LOVEtaylorlautner

And special thanks to everyone who favorited/subscribed to this story!

_Love it? Hate it? Please review it!_


	5. Friday

**Characters/Pairings.** Puck/Rachel, Mike/Tina, Will/Shelby, Quinn/Artie, Finn/Santana; implied Matt/Brittany; with Kurt and Mercedes, of course!

Disclaimer: Glee © Fox; All songs used © their rightful artists

* * *

**And I Need You Now**

Chapter Five: Friday

.

"Quinnie, dear," her mother said, knocking on the door lightly.

"Come in," she called out, spinning her desk chair around to face her mother as the door opened and she walked in.

Her mother handed her an envelope that was addressed to her, with a postage stamp of a baby bottle. Instantly, Quinn's eyes got a little watery, and she smiled at her mother as she wordlessly took the envelope from her. It was addressed from The Winters, the family who had adopted Beth from her. They tried to still keep her involved here and there, and for that, she was grateful.

As she opened the envelope, her mother pulled up the stool and sat beside her, draping her arms around her shoulder and squeezing her comfortingly.

The first thing she pulled out was a letter from Mrs. Winters, thanking her again for blessing them with a little baby girl, and welcoming her to come and visit whenever she wanted, it was more than fine with them.

The second thing Quinn pulled out was a picture of Beth and, labeled on the back, she was a 9 days old – of course, Quinn had been counting the days since.

Seeing that picture caused a tear to roll down her cheek, and she hadn't even noticed it until her mother whispered, "Oh, Quinnie," and gently wiped it away.

She rested her head against her mother's neck, crying softly as her mother rubbed soothing circles on her back. She wasn't sure how long they'd been like this, but eventually, when her tears had subsided and her breathing had returned to normal, her mother pulled out of their embrace. She ran her hands over Quinn's hair, pressing a gentle peck to her forehead. "Would you like to visit her today, after school?"

Quinn hesitated.

Part of her desperately needed to see Beth again, that most was certain.

But the other part of her was afraid that, even if she saw Beth again, she wouldn't be able to handle it.

Her mother took her hand in hers, squeezing it lightly, and Quinn breathed in slowly before gently letting it out. "Please?"

"Of course, Quinnie," her mother said. "Of course. I'll call them right now. Now, let's have breakfast?"

Quinn nodded, standing from her chair and letting her mother hold her hand as they walked downstairs and into the kitchen. She really needed it right now.

* * *

"Oh, she's beautiful," Mercedes said softly as Quinn was showing them the picture after school during glee.

Quinn smiled. "Of course she is."

"She looks like you," Tina commented.

"Definitely," Rachel nodded in agreement, placing a hand on Quinn's shoulder.

"She'll have your smile," Brittany whispered, and Quinn felt so overwhelmed right then and there, that she got up and wrapped her arms around Brittany, who looked stunned at first, but chuckled and hugged her back just as tightly.

"I'm sorry," she apologized as she pulled out of the hug. "I just…"

"Don't apologize," Mercedes reassured. "That's what we're here for."

"Oh my," Rachel and Tina said softly in unison, and they all looked up as Santana walked through the door.

And she wasn't in her Cheerios uniform.

She still wore red and white – force of habit, maybe – but instead it was a blouse and skirt with sandals and a light sweater. It was suited for spring; suited for a mother-to-be.

"Santana," Quinn breathed, crossing the room and hugging her before her friend could quite register it.

Santana had texted Quinn Wednesday night, telling her every detail of her realization. Quinn didn't care of Santana had just tried to take advantage of her pregnancy to make head cheerleader in her absence – Santana was changed now; a true friend. And she was determined to stand by her side as faithfully as the rest of glee had done with her.

"How's Beth?" Santana whispered. Quinn smiled – she had texted her this morning about receiving the letter. "Can I see?"

Quinn took her hand and led her to the others, and Mercedes handed Santana the picture.

A smile appeared on Santana's face – a genuine smile. Brittany beamed at this. It'd been a while since she'd seen her best friend smile so sincerely like that.

"She'll have your smile, that's for sure," Santana said as she handed the picture back to Quinn.

"Santana, are you…" Rachel's voice trailed off.

Santana and Quinn looked at each other. Quinn nodded reassuringly.

"Yeah, I'm pregnant," Santana finally answered. But, because this was Santana, and no matter how changed she was, she was still prideful, she added, "But this doesn't change the—"

She was cut off as Rachel got up and hugged her, which stunned Santana at first, but eventually she hugged her back. And soon, everyone was taking turns hugging the girl. It was strange for Santana, and Quinn could see it written all over her face. It made her chuckle a little.

Quinn looked over Santana's shoulder as the guys all walked in, and her eyes connected with Finn's for the briefest of seconds.

At first, he looked a little uncertain, but she smiled reassuringly, patting Santana's shoulder. Santana turned around to look at him, and as soon as he saw her face, he seemed to be okay.

She watched as Finn went up to Santana, and she punched him lightly before relenting and giving him a hug. Matt went to Brittany, lifting her up by her waist and spinning her around, and as he set her back down on her feet, they kissed briefly, and Brittany giggled. Kurt went to Mercedes, kissing her temple, and, as per usual, the two began chatting animatedly about his choice of scarf for the day and her choice of shoes.

She was only mildly surprised when Mike walked up to Tina and kissed her cheek, causing her to blush furiously but laugh. (But not entirely; Mike _had_ been staring at her a lot the past few weeks). Not even as Puck wrapped his arms around Rachel from behind and nuzzled his face into her hair. (There really was no surprise there.)

As Artie rolled in a few moments later, she walked over to him.

"Hey Quinn," he said.

Instead of answering, she handed him Beth's picture.

He looked at it for a second before a huge smile was on his face. "She's gorgeous. And she looks like you."

"Everyone says that," Quinn laughed lightly.

"'Cause it's true."

She smiled, before her mind drifted onto something that has been tugging at her for quite awhile now.

"Hey," Artie said a few moments later, nudging her lightly, "is everything okay?"

"Artie," she said quietly, "I have a favor to ask you."

"Sure. Go ahead."

"I'm visiting Beth today," she began, nervously looking away, "and I was wondering if maybe you could come with me. I really need someone to be there."

He smiled. "Yeah, of course. I'd love to come with you," he reassured, and she breathed a sigh of relief before pulling him into a hug.

* * *

As they entered The Winters' household, Mr. Winters lifted Artie and his wheelchair up the front steps. "Thank you, sir," Artie thanked when he was set back down, but Mr. Winters dismissed it reassuringly, guiding them through the living room and down the hall where Mrs. Winters was with Beth in her nursery.

"Darling, Quinn is here," Mr. Winters announced as he opened the door, revealing a light pink nursery.

Mrs. Winters was leaning over the white crib, and she turned around and beamed at Quinn, walking over to hug her.

"Hi, Mrs. Winters," Quinn greeted as she pulled out of the hug. "I'm sorry I forgot to tell you, but I brought a close friend of mine along, I hope that's okay."

"Of course it is, dear," Mrs. Winters assured, and, turning to Artie, she extended her hand.

"Artie, ma'am," Artie introduced as he shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Artie," she smiled. "Any friend of Quinn's is welcomed here." Then she looked up and spotted Mrs. Fabray. "Hello Judy."

Mrs. Fabray shook her hand as well. "Thank you for letting us come over on such short notice," she thanked.

"Not a problem, you're welcome to visit any time," Mrs. Winters reassured.

As the two mothers chatted quietly in the background, Quinn walked over to the crib and leaned over to look inside. Beth was fast asleep, of course, wrapped in a pink blanket and wearing a white and pink long-sleeved outfit. Quinn's eyes watered slightly, and a smile spread on her face as she watched her daughter sleep peacefully.

"Why don't you sing to her?" Artie suggested as he rolled his wheelchair beside her and peered into the crib.

"You think I should?" Quinn asked.

"Of course," he said. "I'm sure she'd love it."

"I wouldn't even know what song to sing," she reminded.

"That's what I'm here for," he said, and as she looked at him, he pulled out his iPhone and quickly scrolled through his songs.

As he showed her the song, she smiled and nodded, and he lowered the volume, getting it ready. She looked over and saw her mother and Mr. and Mrs. Winters watching her. Her mother nodded encouragingly at her, and she looked down, nodding to Artie, and he pressed 'play.'

"_If I should stay  
Well, I would only be in your way_

_And so I'll go  
And yet I know_

_That I'll think of you each step of my way_

Her voice was almost as soft as whisper, as to not wake Beth, but it echoed through the calm room, and she knew that her daughter could still hear her.

She stretched her hand out, gently caressing her fingers through Beth's soft blonde curls.

"_And I will always love you  
I will always love you_

_Bittersweet memories  
That's all I have, and all I'm taking with me_

_Goodbye  
Oh, please don't cry_

_'Cause we both know that I'm not what you need_

_But I will always love you  
I will always love you  
_

She closed her eyes, and she felt the tears roll down her cheeks.

Suddenly, a hand was holding hers, squeezing it comfortingly, and she looked down at Artie, who nodded at her to keep going.

She looked over her shoulder; her mother and Mrs. Winters looked glassy-eyed as well, and Mr. Winters placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, smiling back at Quinn and, like Artie, nodded at her to keep going. And she did.

"_And __I hope life will treat you kind  
And I hope that you have all that you ever dream of_

_Oh, I do wish you joy  
And I wish you happiness_

_But above all this  
I wish you love_

_I love you_

_I will always love you  
_

She looked back down at her daughter, more tears rolling down her face.

But there was a huge smile on her face, she didn't bother wiping them away; especially when she swore she saw Beth smiling back at her.

"_I, I will always, always love you  
I will always love you_

_I will always love you_

_I will always love you_"

* * *

"Thanks for coming with me today, Artie," Quinn told him as they were strolling around the mall. Her mother had dropped them off since Artie's father was going to pick him up from there after work in about an hour, and Quinn decided to accompany him until then, which her mother was fine with, of course. "It really helped having you there."

"No problem," he reassured. "You sounded great."

She smiled. "Thanks."

"You should record your singing for her, so she'll always have it," he suggested. "I could help you, if you'd like."

"Thanks, but I think that won't be necessary," she assured. "At least, not for right now. This won't be the last time I'll sing to her."

He chuckled lightly. "You should be proud of yourself."

"Really?" she asked as she settled into one of the chairs in the rest areas of the mall.

Artie rolled up beside her. "Yeah. I mean, I think seeing Beth is really what you needed, since you've seemed kind of down in the dumps lately."

"Have I?" She tucked some hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry about that."

He shook his head. "Nah, you shouldn't be. Everyone goes through those times," he reminded. "Sometimes, you just have those bad days."

She laughed lightly. "Didn't they write a song about that?"

Artie was about to speak, when he paused suddenly, listening closely. She blinked in confusion, furrowing her eyebrows, but a smile spread across his face as he pointed upward. "Speaking of which…" he said, and it wasn't until he'd said that did she recognize the song they were playing.

She laughed again. "Sing for me?" she asked.

"I don't know," he teased. "Should I?"

"Please?"

He laughed again. "Okay."

She leaned back in the chair, resting her head against it as she watched him.

"_Where is the moment when needed the most?  
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost_

_They tell me your blue skies fade to gray  
They tell me your passion's gone away_

_And I don't need no carrying on_

She laughed lightly as he sang to her.

He grinned back at her, taking her hand in his and, like before, squeezed it comfortingly.

She grinned a little wider and squeezed it back.

"_You stand in the line just to hit a new low  
You're faking a smile, with the coffee you go_

_They tell me your life's been way off line  
You fall into pieces every time_

_And I don't need no carrying on_

She bit her lower lip, feeling heat rise to her cheeks.

Suddenly, she felt a thrill go through her, but it felt good; her heart seemed to be beating faster, she was blushing, and she couldn't seem to stop smiling.

Had Artie always made her feel this way?

"'_Cause you had a bad day  
You're taking one down  
You sing a sad song just to turn it around_

_You say you don't know  
You tell me, 'Don't lie'  
You work at a smile and you go for a ride_

_You had a bad day  
Your camera don't lie  
You're coming back down and you really don't mind_

_You had a bad day_

_You had a bad day_

People around them began to crowd, drawn in by the singing, but neither of them seemed to really notice, or care.

They stared into each other's eyes; he was smiling at her, and she tried to return it, but she just couldn't shake the rush she was feeling.

"_Well you need a blue sky holiday  
The point is they laugh at what you say_

_And I don't need no carrying on_

Artie was a great friend to her that much she was certain of. They grew close because she was finally like him, and the rest of them: misunderstood, mistreated, abandoned. Or, at least she had believed she'd been abandoned. But her friends – her _true_ friends in glee – proved her wrong, standing by her side.

He'd taught her that it wasn't the end of the world that she was no longer on the top of the social status pyramid like she had been for so long.

He was always there for her in his own ways, picking up the pieces she'd leave behind.

"_You had a bad day  
You're taking one down  
You sing a sad song just to turn it around_

_You say you don't know  
You tell me, 'Don't lie'  
You work at a smile and you go for a ride_

_You had a bad day  
Your camera don't lie  
You're coming back down and you really don't mind_

_You had a bad day_

_Ooh… Holiday…_

But had there been something else that she'd just been missing this whole time?

With Artie things felt… better. Clearer. Like suddenly, everything made sense again; or, perhaps, she just learned to care about things that were more important. With Artie, she felt complete, and guided, and assured, and protected, and (with a sort of shocking realization that seemed to hit her with such force it nearly left her breathless) she felt loved.

"_Sometimes the system goes on a blink  
And the whole thing turns out wrong_

_You might not make it back and you know  
That you could be well oh that strong_

_And I'm not wrong_

_Yeah…_

_So where is the passion when you need it the most?  
Oh, you and I_

_You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost_

Suddenly, his phone lit up on his lap, and the caller ID said that it was his dad, most likely calling to check where he was.

He ignored it, smiling wider at her, and she laughed silently and beamed back at him.

"'_Cause_ _you had a bad day  
You're taking one down  
You sing a sad song just to turn it around_

_You say you don't know  
You tell me, 'Don't lie'  
You work at a smile and you go for a ride_

_You had a bad day  
You see what you like  
And how does it feel?_

_One more time_

_You had a bad day_

_You had a bad day_"

As the music faded softly in the background, the people that had gathered around them cheered and clapped.

Artie looked away sheepishly, chuckling and reaching for his phone.

However, when he grabbed his phone, she placed her hand over his, stopping him. He looked up at her, about to ask her what she was doing, but he paused as he saw the smile she was giving him. She leaned in, pressing her lips to his, and at first, he didn't react. However, the shock quickly disappeared, and he kissed her back just as longingly.

Around them, there was a collective sigh, and the two pulled back and laughed, both of their cheeks flushed from the attention.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?"

"For giving me something true."

* * *

**A/n.**

**Songs used:** "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton; "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter

EDIT: I changed the song. Well, sort of - I hadn't heard of the Dolly Parton version of "I Will Always Love You" before you guys mentioned it in reviews, so I changed the lyrics from Whitney Houston's version to Dolly's since it did seem more Quinn. Thanks for mentioning it!

Sorry if this chapter seemed kind of short and rushed. Or, at least it felt that way for me.

And I think you guys talked me into liking my Puckleberry chapter, so since you guys don't see anything wrong with it, I'll leave it as it is.

Originally, Puck/Rachel was going to be on Friday, and Artie/Quinn was on Thursday, but I think I kept you guys waiting for Puckleberry long enough, and it seemed more fitting for Quinn and Artie's part to come at the end of the week, so I switched it around. Only three more chapters to go!

**Special thanks to my reviewers for Chapter 4:** Maiqu, izzabella11, sierrafromwa, Megan-Sian, LBMemphis, Embracing Inescapable Truth, anonymous dream, DaRkNeSs . is . SeDuCtIvE, D-Fan, distorted realities, b-mystique

And special thanks to anyone who favorited/subscribed to this story!

_Love it? Hate it? Please review it!_


	6. Saturday

**Characters/Pairings.** Puck/Rachel, Mike/Tina, Will/Shelby, Quinn/Artie, Finn/Santana; implied Matt/Brittany; with Kurt and Mercedes, of course!

Disclaimer: Glee © Fox; All songs used © their rightful artists

* * *

**And I Need You Now**

Chapter Six: Saturday

.

Shelby hesitated, her thumb hovering over the 'dial' button as she stared at the contact: Rachel Berry.

_No_, she quickly decided, dropping her phone back down to the table. There was just no way she'd be able to make the call. She sighed in frustration, running a hand through her hair as the other grabbed her coffee and she drank from it. It was cold now. Just how long _had_ she been staring at that number? This was starting to become a real problem.

"Shelby?" an all-too-familiar voice called out, and she looked up to find none other than Will Schuester standing beside her table with his coffee in hand.

She sat up straighter. "G'morning, Will," she greeted. "I'm starting to believe I can't have my coffee in peace."

He arched an eyebrow. "I disturb your peace?"

"Not entirely."

He laughed. "May I sit?"

She nodded, and he pulled back the chair and sat himself down.

"So, who was that you were trying to call?" he asked.

She stiffened slightly, which didn't go unnoticed by Will. "You saw that?"

"You were the first thing I saw when I walked in," he explained, "and you were staring at your phone the whole time."

She sighed. "Great," she muttered to herself.

"Is it Rachel again?"

"Am I becoming that easy to read?" she asked rhetorically, though he answered it anyway.

"Maybe to me," he suggested. "Rachel has been pretty distracted herself this week and I'd bet it's because of the same thing."

She set her coffee down. "So what now?"

"What do you mean?"

"At this point," she answered, "you know more about Rachel than I do – you know how to handle her, you know what she's like. And you've been telling me we could make this work." Then she swept her hands across the table, a gesture that seemed to say _Show me what you've got_.

"Well your best bet is through song," he said. "Rachel is very insecure, but when she sings, she lets herself and her emotions flow free."

"It's ironic how much alike she and I are, though we've never spent an entire day with each other," she said.

"Singing was your safe haven, too?" he guessed.

She smiled. "I could finally be at rest whenever I sang," she explained. "I could be myself – no worries, no insecurities, no regrets."

"She _is_ so much like you," he said. "And she, _like_ you, needs breaks every now and then to clear her head."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"She and Puck ditched fifth and sixth period and were late for glee on Thursday," he explained. "I didn't support their actions, of course, but her time away from school seemed to put her in a better mood. She seemed more focused again – more herself again."

Shelby smirked. "It sounds to me like you _are_ supporting their actions."

He grinned guiltily and shrugged. "However you want to put it…"

"That's a sweet thought, Will," she considered, "but let's face it, I wouldn't even know what to do with myself."

"Which is why you _need_ this break," he insisted. "Relax more. You said it yourself when we first met – you were trying to work on not being all work."

She sighed. "And I believe you're coming with me?"

He took a breath, about to answer, but paused as her words really sank in, looking at her strangely. Had he really just heard her correctly? But, the way her lip curved upward into a smile, and the way she arched one eyebrow at him as she awaited his response, didn't seem teasing or joking – it seemed slightly challenging. He laughed and stood up.

"Yeah, I think I am."

* * *

"So, how are your glee kids?" Shelby asked conversationally as a waiter brought them to their table.

"They're doing great," he said. "In fact, I just got word from them yesterday that Santana's actually pregnant."

Her eyebrows rose, her usually more composed face dropping into a shocked one. "Pregnant?" she repeated as if she must've heard the word wrong.

He laughed. "Yeah, I know. Can you believe it?"

"Santana is… one of the girls who are cheerleaders, right?"

"_Was_," he corrected. "She quit yesterday. But yeah, that's her."

"How many weeks?" she asked.

"About seven or eight, I believe," he said. "But, you know, when I first heard about it I wasn't really sure how they were taking it. But, I guess, since they've all had a little taste of this when it had been Quinn, they're more prepared and they know more of what to do. They don't seem as scared."

She smiled. "I think Quinn's pregnancy helped bring them together more, and now they're quick to help Santana."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he agreed as a waiter came by and placed their ice waters onto the table.

She took her glass and brought it took her lips, taking a sip. "So, who's the father? Does she know?"

"Finn," he said.

"Finn Hudson? Is she sure?"

Will shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "But he seems intent on being there for Santana."

"High school sweethearts?" she guessed.

"Not in the slightest," he chuckled. "At least, not at first. But they seem to fit together – they _all_ do. I would've never seen it coming."

Her lips quirked upwards into a smile as she traced her finger over the rim of her glass. "The heart wants what the heart wants. Sometimes—"

"—there's just that little spark?" he finished, one eyebrow raised.

They shared a laugh.

"So, what about you and your Vocal Adrenaline kids?" he asked. "How are they?"

"They're upset with me," she said. "And that's putting it lightly."

"Why?"

"I'm retiring from coaching glee."

He blinked, speechless for a few seconds before he finally got out, "Retiring from glee?"

She nodded. "Don't get me wrong, Will. I love singing, and I will always love being able to pass that on to these kids, but I lost a lot of my life trying to chase that dream. I think I took it too far, and I don't want to be stuck in this rut."

"You can still live your life and coach glee," he reminded. "You're just… in the wrong place. You need to be at somewhere like McKinley."

She laughed.

"What?"

"You sounded just like Rachel," she said.

When he looked at her strangely, she elaborated, "Rachel asked me to come to McKinley, too."

"Then you should," Will agreed. "It'll be like a fresh start, but you'll still have singing. Plus, you'll finally be able to spark your relationship with Rachel."

"I don't know, Will," she sighed. "It sounds like a lovely offer, and you're right, I would get a lot out of it, but…"

"_But_…" he pressed.

She just sighed again and shrugged. "I don't know," she repeated.

"It sounds to me like you can't leave singing and glee, but you want your second chance," he said. "Coaching glee with me over at McKinley will be that medium. You'll have a place to meet in the middle. _At least_ consider it seriously," he added when she opened her mouth, about to protest.

"Fine," she agreed. "I'll seriously consider it. Now, shall we order?"

He smiled. "We shall."

* * *

An hour into the dinner, one of the waitresses stepped onto the stage with a mic in hand, announcing that tonight was an open mic. Shelby's eyes cut to Will's, who had a huge smile plastered onto his face. She looked at him with an expression that said _You planned this, didn't you?_ He laughed, his expression seeming to answer _This is supposed to be fun, remember?_

"You don't expect me to sing, do you?" she asked incredulously.

"Of course I do."

"Will!"

"Relax, _I'll_ sing, too," he informed.

"That doesn't make me feel better," she said. "I thought I was supposed to be relaxing."

"Singing _is_ relaxing," he reminded. "When's the last time you sang for fun for other people?"

She frowned when she realized what he was getting at.

He smiled. "Exactly. Now, go up there, and sing your heart out." Then he raised his hand and, more loudly, said, "Hey, we've got a taker here."

Shelby shot him a glare that had _You're paying for this_ written all over it while a young waitress took her hand and dragged her onto the stage. He chuckled, clearly amused, and watched as Shelby paused for a minute before whispering her selection into the waitress's ear.

As the music began playing, she placed the mic the waitress had handed her onto the stand, locking eyes with Will.

He laughed silently, giving a wave, and she narrowed her eyes, attempting to look mad, though the smile threatening on her lips gave it away.

"_Where have all the good men gone, and  
Where are all the gods?_

_Where's the street-wise Hercules  
to fight the rising odds?_

_Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?_

_Late at night, I toss and I turn,  
and I dream of what I need…_

People started to turn their heads, now more intently watching than before.

Shelby took a deep breath to settle herself, and suddenly, her qualms seemed miles and miles away; nothing but a distant, bothersome memory.

As she looked up, her eyes met with Will's again, and he smiled at her and nodded reassuringly for her to continue.

"_I need a hero_

_I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night_

_He'd gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast,  
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight_

She ran her fingers through her hair, allowing her smile to grow wider as she got into the song.

Will couldn't help but smile either as he watched as she finally began to let herself enjoy the performance. He recognized the giddy expression on her face, and it reminded him of a more adult version of Rachel. She had that same sparkle in her eyes, that same flush to her cheeks, and that same innocence as her voice ranged outward, leaving no space untouched.

"_I need a hero_

_I'm holding out for a hero 'till the morning light_

_He's gotta be sure, and its gotta be soon,  
And he's gotta be larger than life_

_Larger than life_

Her audience seemed to enjoying themselves greatly, and Will couldn't blame them.

She was very talented, and it was refreshing to see her perform. Her eyes caught his, and her smile widened.

"_Somewhere after midnight  
In my wildest fantasies…_

_Somewhere just beyond my reach,  
There's someone reaching back for me_

_Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat_

_It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet_

They began clapping along now with the beat, singing lightly along with her in the background.

She kept her eyes on Will, however, and he gulped as he realized he was no longer watching, rather he'd been reduced to a _stare_. She just looked so mesmerizing up there under a different light – a spotlight, where she truly belonged under.

"_Up where the mountain meets the heavens above  
Out where the lightning splits the sea_

_I could swear there is someone, somewhere watching me_

_Through the wind and the chill and the rain  
And the storm and the flood_

_I could feel his approach like a fire in my blood_

_Like a fire in my blood  
Like a fire in my blood  
Like a fire in my blood_

_Like a fire in my…blood!_

The waitress who had brought Shelby on stage nudged Will, whispering, "She's amazing, isn't she?"

And he couldn't wipe the huge smile on his face as he answered, "Definitely."

"_I need a hero_

_I'm holding out for a hero 'till the morning light_

_And he's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon  
And he's gotta be larger than life_

_Oh he's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast  
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight_

_I need a hero_"

* * *

"Thank you for today, Will," she said as they were entering his apartment after returning from their dinner. She shivered slightly from the cold outside and in the hallway, though as he was turning on the lights and cranking on the heater, she felt it safe enough to remove her coat and drape it over the back of a kitchen chair, which she soon seated herself in afterwards.

"You're welcome," he assured. "Coffee?"

She laughed. "Actually, I'm sort of in the mood of something sweeter."

He grinned, waving a finger at her. "I told you that relaxing was just what you needed."

She rolled her eyes.

"I have some iced tea and… I think that's it," he said as he studied the contents of his rather empty fridge.

"Sure, I'd love some," she said, and then she grinned and added, "I think it's time for a grocery shopping trip?"

He made a face. "I'm not a fan of grocery shopping. I usually just tend to buy as I go along. Terri used to do all of the shopping like that."

"You'll starve at that rate, _and_ you'll be losing way too much money that way," she reminded. "You just don't have the patience to clip coupons or compare prices – or at least go to Costco and buy in bulk if you're that reluctant. You'd still be saving."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he sighed as he grabbed two glasses from the cabinets overhead for the iced tea. "I was just so used to Terri being in charge of all that."

"Look, if you're so reluctant, _I'll_ teach you how it's done," she offered.

He paused to look at her. "_You'd_ go grocery shopping with _me?_"

She looked amused, arching an eyebrow. "Stiff glee coach or not, I do enjoy shopping, and saving, too."

"You know, actually, I think I'd like that," he admitted as he tilted the pitcher and poured the iced tea into their glasses. "Thanks."

"No problem," she assured. Then, with another grin, she added, "I'm a sucker for the helpless."

He laughed and shook his head, putting the pitcher back and kicking the refrigerator door shut as he grabbed their glasses and headed to the table. She smiled and mouthed "thanks" as he handed her a glass, taking a sip and licking her lips. "Very refreshing. Who made this?"

"Oh, Emma and Ken came over for dinner last night and she whipped this up," he explained. "We kind of make it a point to try and get together every few weeks."

"That's good, then," she said. "At least it'll spare you a night from takeout and frozen dinners."

"You're never going to let this go, huh?"

"Absolutely not."

He chuckled and drank some iced tea. "You looked pretty good out there tonight."

"It's the first in a long time since I've sung just because," she added. "I think it's just what I needed – thanks."

He smiled. "No problem."

Then she grinned again, adding, "But don't think that you're distracting me."

"Huh?"

"_You_ never sang," she pointed out.

"Dessert came," he reminded. "And we were too full to go on."

"But you're still not getting off the hook," she declared.

"So are you saying I need to sing now?"

"Yes."

He laughed. "So stubborn…"

She rolled her eyes and drank some more tea.

"Well, I think I've got _something_ in mind," he admitted. "Shall we move to the living room?"

She stood up as he did, taking her glass with her. "We shall."

She followed him into the living room, and she felt an odd sensation as she laid eyes on his couch again. The last time she'd sat there, or even been to his apartment, they'd made out, and it _was_ pretty hot. She grinned secretly to herself as she crossed the small distance and sat herself, crossing one leg over the other and watching him.

He had set his glass on the coffee table and was rummaging through some CDs atop his DVD player.

"The kids burned these CDs for me," he explained while looking, "because I told them to give me some ideas of some songs that maybe they'd like to try out for next year, and there was one particular song that I've really liked so far."

She smiled but didn't answer, thinking to herself how interesting of a teacher he seemed to be. He acted more than just a teacher or a coach. The gleam he got in his eyes when talking about his glee kids was one of love and admiration, like a parent would when speaking of his own child, or something similar along those lines. And the kids seemed to reciprocate this love.

"Oh, there it is," he said, pulling a CD from a red sleeve and popping it into the radio resting on a side table.

He settled himself onto the chair opposite of her beside radio, hitting "play."

As soon as the heard the ukulele in the beginning, she broke into a wider grin – she _knew_ this song and, coincidentally, it was a personal favorite of hers as well.

"_He-ey… he-e-e-ey… he-e-e-ey_

_Your lipstick stains  
On the front lobe of my left side brains_

_I knew I wouldn't forget you  
And soon I went and let you blow my mind_

He reached over to where a guitar and ukulele were resting against the fireplace, grabbing the ukulele and positioning it in his hands.

She laughed silently as he picked up on the measures, strumming along.

"_Your sweet moonbeam  
The smell of you in every single dream I dream_

_I knew when we collided  
You're the one I have decided who's one of my kind_

She grinned at him, raising her iced tea to him like a toast, and he returned the smile, nodding back at her.

She tilted her head ever so slightly as she brought the rim of her glass to her lips for a sip, her eyes on his, and his on hers.

"_Hey soul sister  
Ain't that mister mister  
On the radio  
Stereo  
The way you move  
Ain't fair, you know?_

_Hey soul sister  
I don't want to miss  
A single thing you do_

_Tonight_

_He-ey… he-e-e-ey… he-e-e-ey_

From the first time she saw him, she'd thought he'd been wasting his time. She'd heard of him trying to coach McKinley High's glee club back to its former glory, and at first she'd found it amusing and rather hilarious, though as she saw them at Sectionals, she found herself holding a certain respect towards him.

That, _and_ she'd found him incredibly attractive, though if she'd been a real blusher, this would've brought the blood rushing to her cheeks.

"_Just in time  
I'm so glad you have a one-track mind like me_

_You give my life direction  
A game show love connection we can't deny-ay-ay_

_I'm so obsessed  
My heart is bound to beat right out my untrimmed chest_

_I believe in you  
Like a virgin, you're Madonna_

_And I'm always gonna wanna blow your mind_

Why was she thinking of this?

Well, from that first day she heard whispers of his name, never could she have imagined _this_ – him serenading her in his own living room.

And she never could have imagined finding herself so… so _comfortable_ with someone else in her life, let alone a man, especially one who had once been her competition.

"_Hey soul sister  
Ain't that mister mister  
On the radio  
Stereo  
The way you move  
Ain't fair, you know?_

_Hey soul sister  
I don't want to miss  
A single thing you do_

_Tonight_

She found herself singing along with him, her voice a soft whisper in comparison to his, though he still heard it.

She couldn't shake the feeling of how right this felt – how natural it all seemed.

"_The way you can cut a rug  
Watching you is the only drug I need_

_So gangster, I'm so thug  
You're the only one I'm dreaming of_

_You see, I can be myself now finally  
In fact there's nothing I can't be_

_I want the world to see you'll be with me_

She hadn't want to admit this, not even to herself, but tonight had had a strange Date Night feel to it, like married couples would often have to get away from their bustling lives and rekindle their love. The way she seemed too uptight and he was the only one to help cure her; even the way he seemed so reluctant to go shopping by himself and she had to step in to help.

It was very strange how perfectly their two clashing personalities seemed to fit – like two puzzle pieces that only went with each other.

Like they were actually a couple.

"_Hey soul sister  
Ain't that mister mister  
On the radio  
Stereo  
The way you move  
Ain't fair, you know?_

_Hey soul sister  
I don't want to miss  
A single thing you do tonight_

_I don't want to miss  
A single thing you do  
Tonight_

_He-ey… he-e-e-ey… he-e-e-ey_

_Tonight_

_He-ey… he-e-e-ey… he-e-e-ey_

_Tonight_"

She laughed out loud this time, setting her glass on the coffee table as well to free her hands so she could clap. "Very entertaining, I'll give you that."

He laughed with her, setting the ukulele back down beside the guitar before taking a few gulps of his iced tea to quench his thirst. "Thanks," he said as he finished swallowing, moving around the coffee table to sit on the couch beside her. "I just liked it so much – I don't know what it was. I definitely want to do this one with the kids."

"I can't wait to work on it, too," she said.

He opened his mouth, about to agree, but paused as the words hit him. "Wait…"

She grinned. "I think I'll be coming to McKinley after all."

He beamed at her. "Really? Since when did you decide this?"

She shrugged. "I'll admit that I've been considering it ever since Rachel mentioned it at Regionals."

"And what made you finalize it?"

She was grinning again. "You."

He laughed. "This is great, Shelby. Welcome aboard."

"That is, if I'm allowed to," she reminded.

He waved this detail away. "It's Principal Figgins," he reminded. "He'd let _you_ in our school in a heartbeat."

She laughed. "Very true."

"Rachel will be thrilled," he added.

"Yeah."

"And the other kids, too," he went on. "I mean, they know your reputation as Vocal Adrenaline's coach, so imagine how excited they'll be coaching us now, and think how…"

She inched closer to him as he rambled, and he hadn't noticed until he could suddenly count every single one of her eyelashes. She smiled brilliantly at him, and he cut off his words immediately, closing that small distance and meeting her lips gently but eagerly.

Next year was going to be amazing.

* * *

**A/n.**

**Songs used:** "I Need a Hero" by Jennifer Saunders; "Hey Soul Sister" by Train

This chapter was probably, next to the Puck/Rachel one, the most amusing and fun to write. The songs may or may not go entirely with it or them as couple depending on how you look at it, but I chose them because they were fun songs. They still stayed within their characters for the most part, and it seemed like a song that they would sing on the show, at least in my opinion.

Sorry if things seemed rushed or maybe Shelby got out of character every now and then. I wasn't too sure if I wrote this well enough…

**Special thanks to my reviewers for Chapter 5:** distorted realities, xmnmxox, SpencerCollins, Gleekforever, GingerGleek, DaRkNeSs . is . SeDuCtIvE, rj29, anonymous dream, sierrafromwa

And special thanks to everyone who favorited/subscribed to this story!

_Love it? Hate it? Please review it!_


	7. Sunday

**Note: The song in this chapter is a duet, so unless you are already doing this, I suggest you listen to the actual song to sort of get a clearer picture and whatnot. But if you don't mind or care, then please enjoy!**

**Characters/Pairings.** Puck/Rachel, Mike/Tina, Will/Shelby, Quinn/Artie, Finn/Santana; implied Matt/Brittany; with Kurt and Mercedes, of course!

Disclaimer: Glee © Fox; All songs used © their rightful artists

* * *

**And I Need You Now**

Chapter Seven: Sunday

.

_Ring ring ring. _

"Mmm."

_Ring ring ring_.

"Rach. Your phone…"

_Ring ring ring._

"Rach, your—"

"I got it," she grumbled groggily.

She extended her hand and grasped her phone on his nightstand. She sat up, and, after a sudden chill, blushed furious as she yanked the covers back over herself. Puck chuckled sleepily at her reddening cheeks as he shifted in bed, propping himself up on his elbow to watch her as she cleared her throat and finally answered.

"Hello?" she asked, sounding surprisingly awake. It was the habitual star inside of her. _I'm strong. I'm awake. I'm prepared for everything._

"Rachel? It's me. It's Shelby, your mother."

Okay, maybe not _everything_.

"Mom?" she asked, her voice reduced to nothing but a soft whisper.

Beside her, Puck sat up immediately, wrapping his arms around her and stroking her arm soothingly.

"I-I don't understand," Rachel stammered. "Why are you…" She took a deep breath. "Why are you calling me?"

There was silence.

Still silence.

Agonizingly still silence.

Then, "Sweethea—Rachel, we need to talk."

"Where is this coming from?" Rachel asked quietly.

"We – I need to see you," she said. "This needs to be done face-to-face."

"I, um." She paused, turning to Puck, who she knew could hear her mother's end of the call as well. He nodded to her encouragingly, and that gave her that little push she needed to draw another breath and answer, "Okay."

"Thank you, Rachel."

"Of course. Um, when and where?"

"Can you meet me at Spin City at around noon?"

"Sure. I'll, um – I'll see you then."

There was a half-laugh from the other end. "See you then, sweetie."

Even after Shelby had hung up, Rachel kept the phone by her ear, staring across the room at Puck's white wall in a complete trance. Puck took the phone from her hands and slid it closed, tossing it onto the bed. He shifted, placing her head at the crook of his neck and shoulder, and she shut her eyes tightly, slipping her arms around his neck and squeezing him back.

"I… I don't know if I can do this, Noah," she admitted quietly a few minutes later. She wondered if she could feel how rapidly her heart was beating at her sudden nervousness.

"Of course you can, Babe," he reassured. "Of course you can. Do you want me to come? For support or something?"

She shook her head. "Mo—Shelby was right. It needs to be face-to-face, and it needs to be just the two of us. But, um…" She curled herself into his side more, shutting her eyes again. "Can you wait for me? I might feel better knowing you're right there if I need you."

"Sure, Babe. Of course."

She mustered a smile. "Thank you."

He shook his head as if to say _Don't sweat it_, kissing her temple.

* * *

"Well, this is it."

Shelby turned her head away from the window and met Will's eyes as he stood there, leaning against the counter with his coffee mug in hand. She squeezed her own mug between her fingers, but other than that, showed no signs of uncertainty or nervousness or fragility. At least, none that a typical person would show. Then again, Shelby Corcoran didn't really fit _typical._

"This is it," she repeated in a surprisingly small voice.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"No," she admitted. "But better now than never."

"Right."

"Things happen for a reason."

"They do."

"Life never gives you more than you can handle."

"No, it doesn't." Then he smiled. "And I'll be there."

She returned that smile. "And you'll be there."

He looked up and, according to the microwave clock, it was a quarter till noon. "Well, we'd better get going."

She nodded silently, standing up and handing him her coffee. He emptied both mugs into the sink and put them in the dishwasher as she took a breath to settle herself, grabbing her jacket and purse on the table.

They exited his apartment and headed down the stairs and towards the garage in complete, leaving Shelby to her thoughts.

She couldn't get over how greatly things had seemed to change over the course of a few months. For anyone who has ever known Shelby Corcoran – at least, the _old_ Shelby Corcoran, pre-Rachel and pre-Will and pre-well, _everything_ else – they knew, if anything, she was not a woman who was easily, or ever at all, unnerved. Ever.

Yet, Will Schuester, for reasons she could not quite fathom herself, made her nervous.

Heading off to see Rachel Berry, her daughter whom she had for a surrogate pregnancy sixteen years ago, made her nervous.

Hell, even just watching the cars and streets and pedestrians passed by and knowing that with every inch the car moved, she was an inch closer to one of the moments that could change everything, made her nervous!

Needless to say, she wasn't quite used to all the angst.

And, just like that, Will was pulling up to the front of the store, and asking her, "Are you ready?" again.

"No," she found herself saying again because, let's be brutally honest, no human being in their right minds would be ready for _this_ type of confrontation.

He placed his hand over hers, squeezing it tightly, and leaned over to kiss her temple. "You'll do great."

She nodded but didn't fully believe the words.

Still, she pushed open her door, gathered her purse, headed for the front doors, and was determined not to step back.

* * *

She found Rachel exactly where she assumed she'd find her—Broadway music section. She had a headset on and was standing at one of the machines where they let you sample the songs, and, as she came up behind her, Shelby saw that she was listening to a _Wicked_ selection, and a personal favorite of hers as well: "For Good." She smiled at that.

Shelby tapped her shoulder lightly, and she jumped a little, turning around. She pulled the headset off. "Hi, Mo—Shelby."

"You can call me 'mom,'" Shelby reassured, placing her hand over Rachel's hair. "How've you been?"

"Good," Rachel said, though her tone contradicted this.

"Let's take a walk," she suggested, and Rachel nodded silently, placing the headset back down and following.

They walked up and down the isles. Considering the fact that Spin City was the most quality music and video store for a couple of miles, saying it was big was an understatement. There was shelf after shelf of CDs and DVDs and sheet music and audio-books – anything and everything you would expect to find in this kind of store.

"So, I, um," Rachel began after they'd turned the corner and entered an isle of classical movie soundtracks, "I was kind of wondering something."

"And what was that?" Shelby asked.

"Why did you choose here of all places to meet me?"

Shelby smiled. "Well, I figured that, to make this as comfortable as possible, I needed to choose a place we'd both be very familiar with."

"You come here a lot?" Rachel asked, honestly surprised at this fact.

"Yeah," Shelby nodded. "I grew up here in Lima, that's why."

"You did?"

Another nod. "That's how I met your fathers." She smiled, placing a hand lightly on Rachel's head, and this time the smile she had was rather nostalgic. "I'd always felt stuck in this town, and coming here was my only escape."

Rachel smiled a small smile. "I felt that way, too, before I joined glee, that is."

Shelby chuckled gently. "It was frustrating. I didn't have that kind of courage when I was your age – I didn't join a club."

"What were you afraid of?" Rachel asked.

"At first, I thought I just didn't want to share the spotlight… _equally_, that is," she explained, adding that last part with another gentle chuckle. "But, when I grew older, I figured out it was just that I was afraid of not being accepted. I desperately wanted out, and your fathers gave me that opportunity."

"I bet you were glad to finally be free."

"I was," she agreed. "In the beginning, at least. But then something changed, and suddenly Broadway wasn't enough for me anymore."

"What changed?"

"I did." She sighed, looking a little distant as they rounded the corner into a new isle. "You see, my mom was always fascinated with theater and the performing arts, though her prowess was dancing. I got my singing voice from my grandmother on my father's side. I knew she never regretted having a family, but I also knew she always regretted not shooting for her dreams."

"And this motivated you to chase yours?"

Shelby nodded. "I didn't want to end up like my mom: always regretting. I wanted to become something special. But, when I finally got there, it wasn't truly fulfilling. I started to regret. _What_ I was regretting, I wasn't sure of, at least not at the time. And then one weekend I went back to Lima to visit. Seeing my mom again, and seeing my friends and their loving husbands and their adorable children made me finally realized what I'd been regretting."

"Family," Rachel whispered so softly that Shelby had barely caught the word.

Shelby nodded. "Giving up you. Giving up on a life with my daughter."

"And you came back to coach glee here."

"Yeah, I did. What I discovered that I'd been missing was that reaching my dreams wasn't special unless I had someone to tell about it. Someone to come home to who would make me dinner or give me massages after a tiring show. Someone who would hug and kiss me and tell me how proud he was of me whenever I'd win an award."

She took a breath, running her fingers through Rachel's hair. "I thought that, at least if I coached a glee club, it would be _like_ that. At least I'd have my kids to share the experience everything with. But when I got there, I was reminded of my high school time, and I became obsessed with being the best again, and my kids ended up fearing me more than anything."

"It was then I realized," she continued, "that it _wasn't_ the same, not the way I'd done it. It wasn't… special. Nothing is special, really, when there is fear and distance and your only goal is to win. I finally realized that being part of something special was what _made_ you special."

At those familiar words, Rachel smiled a little wider.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," she lied, and though Shelby sensed this, she let it slide.

They lapsed into another silence as they rounded the corner into a new isle, this time of PG13 movies A-K.

Only, this silence seemed lighter; more comfortable. As they walked down, Shelby's hand placed on the back of Rachel's neck, they appeared like your typical mother and daughter shopping for something fun and interesting to watch for movie night.

"Is that what you wanted to tell me?" Rachel asked after a few more moments of silence. As nice as the picture was, she had a feeling there was more that needed to be said.

Shelby didn't answer right away. "No," she finally said. "At least, not the _main_ thing."

They came to a stop at the café towards the back of the store. And though there was music being played lightly, people chatted softly, blenders could be heard making drinks, and everything else was happening around them, as Rachel turned to face her mother, everything seemed to fade into the background, miles rather than inches away.

"I had told you that you and I could never have anything special," she said softly. "Like the way your dads gave you water when you were sad."

Rachel nodded, recalling the conversation, and wondering what she was getting at. However, she remained quiet and attentive.

"Truthfully, when I'd said it, I was lying," she admitted. "I knew that maybe, perhaps someday, things _could_ be like that between us. Maybe I could be your _mom_, not just your mother. Maybe you could be my little girl, and not just my daughter. But I was afraid of how disappointed you and I would both feel if we couldn't have that."

"So, what are you saying?" Rachel asked softly. "Do you want to give it another try?"

Shelby took Rachel's hands in hers and squeezed it lightly. "Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying."

Rachel smiled up at her, feeling the slight sting in her eyes as she felt the tears coming on.

"Oh, sweetie, don't cry," Shelby chuckled.

Rachel shook her head. "I won't. Not now, at least. It's just that… this is amazing."

"Yeah, well," she began, tucking some of Rachel's hair behind her ear, "you won't find it so amazing when your mother comes to coach you in glee."

Rachel blinked in surprised, rendered completely silent.

"Wh-What was that?" she finally got out a few good minutes later.

Shelby's smile widened. "I've decided that I want to come and coach New Directions at McKinley after all."

"Mom, that's incredible," she laughed, not quite sure why she was laughing, but she was just so overwhelmed at the moment that she could care less for rhyme and reason.

"I talked with Will about it, and he's positive Principal Figgins well let me do it in a heartbeat, so everything's pretty much set," Shelby explained.

"What were you doing with Mr. Schuester?"

Shelby laughed, and this time, there was a slightly sheepish tone to it. "Yeah, well, a lot happened."

"Maybe a topic for another conversation," Rachel agreed, not all too pleased with the idea of a possible thing between her Spanish teacher/glee coach and her mother. "After all," she added, flashing a brilliant smile, "this won't be our last mother-daughter outing."

Shelby smiled back. "Agreed."

Then, Rachel blinked, and suddenly, everything that was once in the background came into focus again.

"Is something wrong?" Shelby asked curiously at the expression her daughter now wore: amused.

"Huh? Oh, no," Rachel shook her head, "it's just that I like the song they're playing."

Shelby arched an eyebrow and noticed that, yes, they indeed changed to a new song, which was something she knew as well.

Rachel smiled at her as she drew in a breath to sing.

"_I've heard it said  
That people come into our lives for a reason  
Bringing something we must learn_

_And we are led to those  
Who help us most to grow  
If we let them  
And we help them in return_

_Well I don't know if I believe that's true_

_But I know I'm who I am today  
Because I knew you_

Shelby's smile widened as Rachel closed her eyes, placing her hands over her heart.

It didn't matter what happened in the past sixteen years ago, or earlier or that month, or what would happen in the future. They were reunited. They were in this strange, erratic adventure together. They finally had each other again.

"_Well I don't know if I believe that's true_

_But I know I'm who I am today  
Because I knew you_

She reached over and joined their hands, squeezing hers lightly.

"_Like a comet pulled from orbit  
As it passes the sun_

_Like a stream that meets a boulder  
Halfway through the wood_

_Who can say if I've been changed for the better?_

_But because I knew you  
I have been changed for good_

Shelby squeezed her hand back a little more tightly as she drew in a breath for her turn, her eyes lingering on Rachel.

It was felt as if she were staring into a reflection, just a younger and more hopeful version of her stared back into her face.

"_It may well be  
That we will never meet again in this lifetime  
So let me say before we part_

_So much of me  
Is made from what I learned from you_

_You'll be with me like a handprint on my heart_

_And whatever way our stories end  
I know you have rewritten mine  
By being my friend_

She reached up with her free hand, placing it lightly on her cheek, and as she did this, Rachel smiled and closed her eyes, placing her hand over her mothers.

"_Like a ship blown from its mooring  
By a wind off the sea_

_Like a seed dropped by a sky bird  
In a distant wood_

_Who can say if I've been changed for the better?_

_But  
Because I knew you_

"_Because I knew you_

"_I have been changed for good_

Shelby removed her hand over Rachel's cheek, and Rachel opened her eyes as her mother traced her fingers lightly over her cheek bone. As Rachel looked into her mother's eyes, she looked as if she wanted to say so many things at once, but Rachel just shook her head silently.

It all didn't matter. Not anymore.

"_And just to clear the air  
I ask for forgiveness  
For the things I've done you blame me for_

"_But then, I guess  
We know there's blame to share_

"_And none of that seems to matter anymore_

As people crowded around them, intrigued by the singing, the two didn't notice any one else but each other.

Not even as Puck and Will, who had run into each other while waiting for their respective girlfriends outside the store, slipped in, curious about the crowd they could see forming through the glass doors. Needless to say, neither was surprised when they found that Rachel and Shelby were, once again, the center of attention – a place where they both belonged, together.

"_Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes the sun_  
"_Like a ship blown from its mooring by a wind off the sea_

"_Like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood_  
"_Like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood_

"_Who can say if I've been changed for the better?_

_I do believe I have been changed for the better_

As Rachel blinked, a tear rolled down her cheek, which Shelby gently wiped away, her hand lingering on her daughter's face once more.

"_And because I knew you…_

"_Because I knew you…_

"_Because I knew you_

_I have been changed  
For good_"

* * *

"How do you feel, Babe?" Puck asked Rachel later that day as they were walking around the mall, half-eaten fro yo in their hands.

Rachel beamed at him, leaning into his side as he placed an arm around her shoulder. For once, Rachel Berry was rendered speechless by the entire situation. "No words could really describe it," she admitted after a few minutes of stumbling over her words, trying to find the right way to phrase it.

"Could you try?" he asked with an amused chuckle.

"Well," she began as they stepped onto the escalator headed downstairs, "there's… a lot. It's almost summer, which makes me relieved. And, though New Directions didn't win, we still _won_, which makes me proud. Mom is coming to coach us at McKinley, and we're finally going to try and make this work, which makes me feel like a whole new beginning, and I love it."

And then she giggled, tossing their fro yo into the trash can as they exited the escalator, and looping her arm with his.

"And you're with me," she added, pausing their stride just out of the way to look into his eyes. "Which makes everything feel perfect."

He smirked, kissing her temple, and then her lips. "'No words could really describe it,' Babe?"

She rolled her eyes. "No words could really describe it _accurately_. But some might come close. How about 'everything is falling into place'?"

"Cliché," he admitted. "But I could dig it."

They laughed.

Then she reached up and placed her hand on his cheek as his arms wrapped around her.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too," he returned, not missing a beat.

* * *

Mike squeezed the hand that held Tina's as they walked along the shore, the wet sand relaxing and refreshing against their feet. She looked over at him and smiled. It was a beautiful day, she was there with Mike, and everything seemed so peaceful. Everything seemed so perfect. "Penny for your thoughts?"

She smiled. "Just thinking about everything."

"Could you be a little more specific?"

"I'm thinking of how glee is supposed to be social suicide, but yet, it _gave_ me friends, and another family," she explained. "I'm thinking of how frightened Santana and Finn should be taking on another life, and yet, they couldn't be more excited. I'm thinking about how most teen pregnancies end in disaster, and yet, it just made Quinn, and all of us, stronger."

"You're thinking about how things that shouldn't make sense together make perfect sense together," he guessed.

She beamed at him. "Exactly."

"Try not to think about it too much," he advised, placing a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Why not?"

He shrugged. "Superstitions?"

She laughed lightly. "Okay. So what are you thinking about?"

"How badly I kind of want to do _this_," he said, and he pulled her forward as a wave came through, nailing them both from the waist down with water.

Mike laughed at Tina's expression, which was first shock as she shivered from the sudden coldness. Then it became a smirk and a look that said _Well two could play at this game!_ She pressed herself against him, placing her hands on his chest and leading them further into the water.

She pressed her lips to his, and not even the force of the wave that came up behind him, washing over them and drenching them from head to toe, could part their kiss.

* * *

"Oh dear," Kurt said as Mercedes stepped out in the perfect blouse he deemed "a must" for her to try on.

She made a face, turning back around to stare at her reflection in the long mirror within the stall. "It's a little _loud_, don't you think?" Mercedes asked, tucking some hair behind her ear as she studied the blouse on her with an unsure expression.

Kurt stood up and came to stand beside her. "Honey, you've never looked fiercer."

Mercedes laughed. "Really?"

"Yes really. And you know me, hon," he smiled, resting his elbow on her shoulder, "I'm the _definition_ of brutal honesty."

"Well thanks then. I think it's cute," she said. Then she grabbed the tag dangling off the sleeve and cringed. "Okay, it's not looking so cute anymore."

Kurt grabbed the tag from her. "_Please_, Mercedes, _I've_ got this."

"No, Kurt, I'll feel bad if you—"

"No, no, no," he cut her off. "There are no arguments. You're getting this blouse. This price? Nothing to bat an eye at with me, hon."

She smiled. "Thanks, Kurt. I definitely owe you."

He shook his head, waving the detail away, and kissed her temple, leaving her in the stall to change.

* * *

Matt laughed quietly to himself as he watched his girlfriend meowing back and forth with a caged kitten in the pet store. He wasn't sure what it was with Brittany and cats. Considering most things – and by most, he pretty much meant _everything_ – either easily fascinated or easily confused the poor girl, cats apparently held something special rank above the rest.

He supposed he should step in. People _were_ starting to stare. But how could he interrupt such an… interesting conversation?

"Brit," he finally said as he walked over to her side.

She looked at him and smiled, "Oh, hey," as if she'd forgotten he was at the mall with her. (Which, considering her short attention span and apparent lack of remembering, wasn't so far-fetched.) "Look at this little kitten," she said, poking her fingers through the cage so the kitten's soft paw could play with them.

He laughed again. "Come on, Brit, we should go buy our tickets for the movie."

"Mmmkay," she sang, giving the kitten one last "meow" of a goodbye before lacing her fingers with his and letting him lead her out.

He knew people questioned why he dated her. Sure, she was hot – insanely so. And her being a cheerleader had its perks. But no one other than her friends at glee had the patience to deal with her eccentricities, or the self control to _not _abuse those eccentricities.

"Hey Matt," she said.

He looked down at her.

"I think you're amazing," she said simply, casually. As if they were discussing the weather.

He laughed and replied, "I think _you're_ amazing."

She laughed as well and let her eyes wander, the moment easily going as it had come.

Yeah, she was eccentric. And completely random, if anything. But when you had moments like _that_, how could he not stick around?

* * *

"What about something like this?" Quinn asked as she held up the sterling silver diamond _B_ necklace delicately with her fingers.

"Pretty," Artie said, "but I don't know. I think you need to get her something a little more, I don't know – special. Spectacular. _Different._ And you should call Puck and get his opinion, too. You guys are the parents, so it should be from both of you."

She smiled. "You're right," she agreed, setting the necklace back down.

"I think I saw him and Rachel walk by just a few minutes ago," he said, "though I'm not quite sure."

"No, it's okay," she reassured, pushing his wheelchair out of the jewelry store. "I think it'd be better to do it on a planned day."

"Good thinking," he said.

She smiled at him and they lapsed into a comfortable silence as they strolled around the mall, letting the muffled sound of chatter and laughter and music relax them.

After awhile, Artie spoke up again. "Do you ever regret it?"

"What?"

"Giving Beth up."

She hesitated, mostly due to her shock that _that_ was what had been on his mind. He always seemed to be worrying about her, and she found it very touching and sweet.

But her answer only moments later was clear and sure, and not at all sad. "No. I mean," she went on, "would I rather have kept her if I could? Yeah, I would; without a doubt. But the Winters can provide so much more for her than I ever could. It would always be a struggle if I'd kept her, and I didn't want her to struggle any more than she needed to."

Then she placed her hand on his shoulder, tilting her head as he looked up, meeting her eyes.

He smiled brilliantly at her, and she returned it with a kiss to his temple.

"Besides, I'll always have you."

* * *

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

Santana looked up from her _So You're Pregnant—What Comes Next?_ book and at Finn beside her, whose eyes were on her rather than the low TV showing the highlights of last night's game. She smirked playfully at him. "Are you trying to get rid of me after all?" she teased lightly.

"No," he said, his eyebrows furrowing. The playfulness left as she saw the worry enter his expression. "I just don't want to force you into it."

"This is what I _want_," she said rather stubbornly.

"What about your mom?"

She sighed, putting down her book and shifting on the bed so that she sat on her knees facing him. "I'll miss her. It will be hard to leave her and my brothers and sisters," she admitted. "But it will be better on everyone if I moved in with you. I don't want my mom to feel like she needs to always be there to baby-sit or to fuss over everything. It needs to be you and me – that's it."

He smiled a small smile, not entirely relaxed, but not entirely worried anymore either. "Okay," he said.

"Just trust me on this," she said. "You said it yourself, remember? It's me and you, together."

He nodded silently, still looking troubled. But, before Santana could open her mouth to say something else, he reached over and placed his hand over her stomach. She watched him warily as his expression shifted slowly into an assured, protective one, and she didn't need words to know that he agreed with her completely.

She placed her hand over his, knowing that this gesture would express her thoughts completely.

They could do this – him and her, and their child. Them against the world.

* * *

"I just got off of the phone with Figgins," Will announced as he walked into his living room.

Shelby was seated beside the radio, one leg crossed over the other, and a notebook open in her lap as she was going through the songs burned onto the kids' CDs, listing them down and categorizing by _yes_'s, _no_'s, and _maybe_'s. "Oh yeah?" she asked, still not looking up from her pad as she reached over to the radio and skipped to the next track. "And…?"

"Since next week is the last week of school before summer break," he explained, sitting himself beside her, "you can come in during fifth period tomorrow so we can discuss it. He just wants everything in writing, but he's already given his word – you're in."

She looked up and smiled at him. "Excellent."

"The kids will be happy," he told her. "We can tell them during glee tomorrow that you've officially transferred from Carmel to McKinley."

She nodded in agreement, then the smile she gave him was somewhat challenging. "Co-directing. It's a whole new ballpark."

"We'll manage," he countered, matching her joking tone.

"And the kids," she continued. "What do you think they'll think about this new arrangement?"

"They'll be psyched."

"And your friends?"

"They'll warm up to you. Eventually," he said, adding the last part with a quirk of his lips.

She smiled at him as if he'd just passed a little test of hers, and leaned over to place a kiss on his forehead.

"Then let the games begin."

* * *

**A/n.**

**Song used:** "For Good" from _Wicked_

Okay, so, about "For Good"; I really love this song and I thought it would be fitting. I know that the part where it talks about might not ever being able to see each other again doesn't really fit the plot of this particular story, but I felt the rest did—mainly the message that the past didn't matter anymore, but that they're in each others lives for a reason.

This chapter was supposed to be just about the Rachel/Shelby mother-daughter relationship, but I thought it'd be nice to bring everyone else back, too!

The Mike/Tina kiss was a personal favorite of mine out of all the other kisses I wrote in here, mostly because I always wanted to do a playful scene where a couple kisses while being drenched by water. I think Santana was somewhat out of character… okay, maybe a lot; I'm not too sure. Sorry about that! And I wanted to add Mercedes, Kurt, Matt, and Brittany and give them their own special moments since they've pretty much been invisible this entire time.

Chapter 8 is the final chapter!

**Special thanks to my reviewers for Chapter 6:** wickedglee, PLUJ3S-MALK1N, coastiewife465, anonymous dream, izzabella11

And special thanks to everyone who favorited/subscribed to this story!

_Love it? Hate it? Please review it_


	8. Tomorrow

**Characters/Pairings.** Puck/Rachel, Mike/Tina, Will/Shelby, Quinn/Artie, Finn/Santana; implied Matt/Brittany; with Kurt and Mercedes, of course!

Disclaimer: Glee © Fox; All songs used © their rightful artists

* * *

**And I Need You Now**

Chapter Eight: Tomorrow

.

When Will walked into the choir room after school that day, he didn't take his expo marker and write on the whiteboard as he had done all year. Instead, he stood in front of the Baldwin piano, smiling around at his students as they awaited his speech. "Well guys," he began, "I can't believe that we survived an entire year."

Everyone laughed along with him, and he cleared his throat, regaining their attention. "It's just been one great ride. I mean, like I said after Regionals, at the beginning of the year, there were only five of you. But now, we've come together and survived together. We've been through many downs. And I mean _a lot_." Another round of laughter passed. "But, we had many ups, too. I know this has been said countless times before me, but we've become a family now."

"So, as the, um, _father_ of this family," he continued before they could erupt into laughter and chatter once more, "I would like you guys to give a warm welcome to the newest member, who will be my co-director starting next year."

Will reached the door and took someone's hand, leading non other than Shelby Corcoran into the room.

There was a collective gasp from most of the students.

"Rachel's mom?" Mercedes asked in disbelief. "But I thought you were coaching Vocal Adrenaline."

"I was," Shelby admitted. "After this year, I was strongly considering retiring from coaching glee, but," she trailed off slightly, her eyes falling on Rachel, "I couldn't leave."

Will placed a hand on her shoulder, and Shelby smiled at him. "I'm sorry for intruding on your family," she continued, managing to look somewhat sheepish, "especially considering what Vocal Adrenaline has done to all of you, however—"

"It's like our prayers have been answered," Kurt interrupted. "With Mr. Schue and Ms. Corcoran coaching together, there's no way we could lose."

Will laughed. "Now, guys, that's not technically the point. Winning isn't everything—"

"Next year is going to be awesome!" Finn exclaimed, and instantly, the room erupted into excited chatter.

"_Hel-lo_ Regionals!"

"We are going to school Vocal Adrenaline!"

"Let's get ready to kick some ass!"

Will and Shelby looked at each other, their looks both seeming to say _What have we gotten ourselves into?_, but laughed along with them.

Rachel got up from her seat, running over to hug her mother, who squeezed her back just as tightly.

"Hey Rach," Tina said, running up to her with Mike following behind, their hands intertwined, "are we still going to… you know…"

"Oh!" Rachel exclaimed, and she looked back at everyone else, who all seemed to be looking at her as well.

"Wait," Will interrupted, "what are you talking about?"

Tina and Rachel smiled at each other. "We've prepared a surprise," Tina explained. "It's sort of like a thank-you, end-of-the-year, have-a-great-summer, can't-wait-for-next-year kind of thing."

Everyone at once began clearing the chairs, stacking them off of the side to clear the risers, and Rachel took Shelby and Will's hands. "Mom, Mr. Schue – have a seat," she giggled, leading them to the two chairs Matt and Puck were placing beside the piano.

"We prepared three numbers just for you," Quinn announced.

"One of just the girls," Santana began.

"One of just the guys," Mike continued.

"And one together," Puck finished.

"So girls, take a seat," Finn said, pulling up a chair for Santana. "Guys are going first."

The girls all rolled their eyes but laughed, walking over and sitting down in the chairs that the guys placed beside Will and Shelby. Then the guys came together, forming a line in front of them with their backs to the audience as the band readied themselves.

And, as the band gave their signal, beginning the song, they jumped around to face the girls (plus Mr. Schuester), singing in unison.

"_It's been one week since you looked at me  
Cocked your head to the side and said, 'I'm angry'_

_Five days since you laughed at me  
Saying, 'Get back together, come back and see me.'_

_Three days since the living room  
I realized it's all my fault but couldn't tell you_

_Yesterday you'd forgiven me  
But it'll still be two days till I say, 'I'm sorry'_

Then Matt stepped out of line from the guys, who hummed softly behind him.

He walked over to Brittany, who giggled as he placed his hands on either side of her face, shaking her head slightly as he sang.

"_Hold it now and watch the hoodwink  
As I make you stop, think  
You'll think you're looking at Aquaman_

_I summon fish to the dish, although I like the Chalet Swiss  
I like the sushi 'cause it's never touched a frying pan_

_Hot like wasabi when I bust rhymes  
Big like Leann Rimes  
Because I'm all about value_

_Bert Kaempfert's got the mad hits  
You try to match wits  
You try to hold me but I bust through_

He spun around, catching Artie's wheelchair as he rolled beside him and they sang together.

"_Gonna make a break and take a fake  
I'd like a stinkin achin shake  
I like vanilla, it's the finest of the flavors_

_Gotta see the show, cause then you'll know  
The vertigo is gonna grow  
Cause it's so dangerous, you'll have to sign a waiver_

Then Artie and Matt fell back in line with the others as they danced, bringing Puck to the front and center.

He winked at Rachel, who was having a hard time containing her giggles, standing right in front of her as he sang, gesturing with the lyrics.

"_How can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad  
Trying hard not to smile though I feel bad_

_I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral  
Can't understand what I mean?  
Well, you soon will_

_I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve  
I have a history of taking off my shirt_

Then he and Finn pounded fists as he rejoined the other guys, dancing along with them as they switched positions and sang together for the chorus

Their audience was laughing, almost in a fit of hysterics, clapping and dancing along as best they could in their seats.

"_It's been one week since you looked at me  
Threw your arms in the air and said, 'You're crazy' _

_Five days since you tackled me  
I've still got the rug burns on both my knees_

_It's been three days since the afternoon  
You realized it's not my fault not a moment too soon_

_Yesterday you'd forgiven me  
And now I sit back and wait till you say you're sorry_

Mike took the floor, popping and locking and breaking during the instrumental part as everyone danced background behind him.

As it came close to the next verse, he spun around and stopped in front of Tina, dropping to one knee and grabbing her hand as he sang his part.

"_Chickity China the Chinese chicken  
You have a drumstick and your brain stops tickin'_

_Watchin X-Files with no lights on  
We're dans la maison (dans la maison)  
I hope the Smoking Man's in this one_

_Like Harrison Ford I'm getting Frantic  
Like Sting I'm Tantric  
Like Snickers, guaranteed to satisfy_

_Like Kurasawa I make mad films  
Okay I don't make films  
But if I did they'd have a samurai_

Then he pushed off of the ground, spinning again and high-fiving Kurt as the two sang together.

"_Gonna get a set of better clubs  
Gonna find the kind with tiny nubs just so my  
irons aren't always flying off the back-swing_

_Gotta get in tune with Sailor Moon  
Cause that cartoon has got the boom anime babes  
That make me think the wrong thing_

Like Matt and Artie from before, Mike and Kurt fell back into line, rejoining the other guys as they swapped the center with Finn.

As Finn came to the center, facing Santana more than the rest of them, Santana was shaking her head. However, she had a wide smirk on her face, and was laughing. Like Puck, Finn gestured along with the lyrics.

"_How can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad  
Trying hard not to smile though I feel bad_

_I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral  
Can't understand what I mean? You soon will_

_I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve  
I have a history of losing my shirt_

He spun back around, pounding fists with Puck as he rejoined the other guys, dancing and singing in unison once more as they were reaching the end.

"_It's been one week since you looked at me  
Dropped your arms to your sides and said, 'I'm sorry'_

_Five days since I laughed at you  
And said, 'You just did just what I thought you were gonna do'_

_Three days since the living room  
We realized we're both to blame, but what could we do?_

_Yesterday you just smiled at me  
Cause it'll still be two days till we say we're sorry_

_It'll still be two days till we say we're sorry_

_It'll still be two days till we say we're sorry_

_Birchmount Stadium, home of the Robbie_

_Whoo!_"

Everyone erupted into applaud, cheering and hollering and laughing.

"Hilarious, guys," Will said, a little breathless as he tried to recover from his laughter. "Amazing and a little bit scary, but hilarious."

Shelby nodded in agreement. "Definitely very entertaining." Then, to Will, "We're going to have to do a lot of numbers like this one come next year. Personally, I need a break from all of the serious competitions."

"Agreed," he said. "And now, I believe it's our girls' turn."

"You think you can beat that, Babe?" Puck asked playfully as he pulled out of their hug.

There was a sparkle in her eyes. "You bet."

"Hey this isn't a competition," Finn reminded.

Santana crossed her arms over her chest. "You're only saying that because you know you guys are going to lose."

"Oooh," Mike laughed, mock-punching Finn. "Burned."

"That applies to you, too," Tina informed, earning her an _It's on_ look from her boyfriend.

"Come on, girls," Quinn said, taking Rachel and Santana's arms and pulling them forward. "Let's not keep them waiting."

The whole room laughed as the guys and girls traded places.

Once the band began playing their song, the girls stood in their poses and began their number.

"_Oh Mickey, you're so fine  
You're so fine, you blow my mind  
Hey Mickey! (hey hey)  
Hey Mickey! (hey hey)_

_Oh Mickey, you're so fine  
You're so fine, you blow my mind  
Hey Mickey! (hey hey)  
Hey Mickey! (hey hey)_

_Oh Mickey, you're so fine  
You're so fine, you blow my mind  
Hey Mickey! (hey hey)  
Hey Mickey! (hey hey)_

_Oh Mickey, you're so fine  
You're so fine, you blow my mind  
Hey Mickey! (hey hey)_

_Hey Mickey!_

The girls danced and twirled, forming a line behind Rachel as she stepped forward, taking the first verse.

As she strolled by, she ran her fingers through Puck's Mohawk and winked at him as he had done to her, and he smirked back at her.

"_Hey Mickey!_

_You've been around all night  
And that's a little long_

_You've think you've got the right  
But I think you've got the wrong_

_Why can't you say, 'Goodnight,'  
So you could take me home, Mickey?_

She spun around, high-fiving with Quinn as they swapped positions.

Quinn twirled over to Artie, flashing a wide smile at him, which he laughed at and returned, as she danced to the lyrics.

"'_Cause when you say you will  
It always means you won't_

_You're giving me the chills,  
Baby please, baby don't_

_Every night, you still leave me all alone, Mickey!_

Then she stepped back, falling into line with the other girls, with Mercedes in the center for her solo line.

"_Oh Mickey,  
What a pity,  
You don't understand_

"_You take me by the heart,  
When you take me by the hand_

"_Oh Mickey,  
You're so pretty,  
Can't you understand_

Brittany beamed, twirling into the center and swapping with Mercedes for a hot second as she took her own solo line, before falling back in line with the others.

"_It's guys like you, Mickey_

"_Oh, what you do, Mickey  
Do Mickey_

_Don't break my heart Mickey_

Santana danced forward, leaning over and running her hand up Finn's chest and quickly pulling back, a wide smirk on her face the entire time.

Finn smiled, a certain gleam in his eyes as he watched her dance to what she was singing.

"_Hey Mickey!_

_Now when you take me by the hooves,  
Everyone's gonna know_

_Every time you move,  
I let a little more show_

_There's somethin' we can use_

_So don't say no, Mickey!_

Then she stepped back, spinning on her heels and high-fiving with Tina as Rachel and Quinn had as they swapped solos.

Tina stopped right in front of Mike, a slight blush on her cheeks, but as he returned the smile, she felt a thousand times more confident, and danced as if it was just the two of them as she sang.

"_So come on  
And give it to me anyway you can_

_Anyway you wanna do it,  
I'll take you like a man_

_Oh please, baby please  
Don't leave me in a jam, Mickey!_

She spun back around and rejoined the other girls as they repeated the chorus.

"_Oh Mickey,  
What a pity,  
You don't understand_

"_You take me by the heart,  
When you take me by the hand_

"_Oh Mickey,  
You're so pretty,  
Can't you understand_

"_It's guys like you, Mickey_

"_Oh, what you do, Mickey  
Do Mickey_

_Don't break my heart Mickey_

They danced around, twirling each other as they finished off their performance.

"_Oh Mickey, you're so fine  
You're so fine, you blow my mind  
Hey Mickey! (hey hey)  
Hey Mickey! (hey hey)_

_Oh Mickey, you're so fine  
You're so fine, you blow my mind  
Hey Mickey! (hey hey)  
Hey Mickey! (hey hey)_

_Oh Mickey,  
What a pity,  
You don't understand_

"_You take me by the heart,  
When you take me by the hand_

"_Oh Mickey,  
You're so pretty,  
Can't you understand_

"_It's guys like you, Mickey_

"_Oh, what you do, Mickey  
Do Mickey_

_Don't break my heart Mickey_

_Oh Mickey,  
What a pity,  
You don't understand_

"_You take me by the heart,  
When you take me by the hand_

"_Oh Mickey,  
You're so pretty,  
Can't you understand_

"_It's guys like you, Mickey_

"_Oh, what you do, Mickey  
Do Mickey_

_Don't break my heart Mickey!_"

Once again, everyone roared in applaud, erupting into a cheer.

The girls were nearly as breathless as the guys had been at the end of their performance, panting heavily as they held their pose, smiling widely with flushed cheeks. The guys ran to their girlfriends, and Kurt to Mercedes, hugging them enthusiastically, and Will and Shelby continued to clap as they stood.

"You girls did an amazing job," Shelby said as she stood beside Rachel, who beamed back. "It's hard to say who was having more fun – you or us."

"How about both?" Rachel asked, and everybody laughed.

"_But_," Mercedes went on.

"We're not done just yet," Kurt finished. "We've still got out last number."

They all nodded, murmuring to each other excitedly as they formed a circle chairs.

Mike gestured to Tina's seat like a chauffer, and she giggled as she played along, curtsying slightly as she sat. As Finn and Santana took their seats, Finn reached over and intertwined his fingers with hers, and she smiled. Mercedes took Kurt's arm as they sat, waving their fingers together and brushing back their bangs. Brittany giggled as Matt planted a kiss on her cheek when he sat, turning to do the same to him. Artie arched an eyebrow at Quinn, who laughed lightly, biting her lower lip as she nodded, and she sat down on his lap with her legs draped over the arm. As Puck and Rachel settled into their seats, Rachel leaned against Puck's arm

As Will and Shelby finally sat back down, they looked at each other, the same thought seeming to pass through. _This is where we all belong_.

"So, let's hear it," Will said.

Rachel smiled as everyone looked to her and nodded for her to start.

"_Picture perfect memories  
Scattered all around the floor_

_Reaching for the phone 'cause  
I can't fight it anymore_

She looked over to Tina, who smiled and winked.

Then Tina looked to Mike and they beamed at each other as they drew in their breaths.

"_And I wonder if I  
Ever cross your mind_

_For me it happens all the time_

Puck and Rachel joined them, the duet becoming a quartet.

"_It's a quarter after one  
I'm all alone  
And I need you now_

_Said I wouldn't come  
But I lost all control  
And I need you now_

_And I don't know how I could do without_

_I just need you now_

They turned their attention to Artie. He smiled at Quinn, and she laughed silently, biting her lower lip again.

"_Another shot of whiskey  
Can't stop looking at the door_

_Wishing you'd come sweeping  
In the way you did before_

Finn and Santana looked at each other, squeezing their hands slightly.

"_And I wonder if I  
Ever cross your mind_

_For me it happens all the time_

Then, as Quinn and Artie joined the couple, everyone began singing lightly in the background.

"_It's a quarter after one  
I'm a little drunk  
And I need you now_

_Said I wouldn't come  
But I lost all control  
And I need you now_

_And I don't know how I could do without_

_I just need you now_

Brittany smiled widely at Matt as they sang together, and everyone joined in after.

"_Yes I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all_

"_It's a quarter after one  
I'm all alone  
And I need you now_

_And I said I wouldn't come  
But I lost all control  
And I need you now_

_And I don't know how I could do without_

_I just need you now_

_I just need you now_

_Oh baby,  
I need you now_"

* * *

**SEVEN MONTHS LATER**

* * *

"Where is she?" Quinn demanded with a slight pant from running as soon as she reached Finn, who was pacing back and forth in the hallway.

"In there," he said quickly, though he didn't stop his pace and continued stalking back and forth.

"What the hell are you _doing?_" she snapped, making Finn jump. As furious as Quinn was capable of getting, she wasn't usually very aggressive, which is why he was startled as she grabbed him by his shirt collar. "You need to be in there."

"I can't do it!" he cried. "She's in pain and frantic and if _Santana_ is scared then how am I supposed to—"

"She needs you now more than ever!" Quinn reminded.

Finn cringed but didn't move.

She groaned, shoving past him and into the room, where Santana let out another pained moan.

Puck followed soon after Quinn was gone. He grabbed his best friend firmly by his shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. "Man, this is _not_ the time to be scared shitless," he reminded a little more calmly than Quinn had. "What's the matter with you? Seven months ago, you were determined to be there for her, and now—"

"I can't do it!" Finn cried again. "_Holy crap_, we're not ready for this!"

"How do you think _I_ felt when it was Quinn, huh?" Puck asked. "But you just have to suck it up and get in there because, you know what? Santana_ needs you now_."

"Right," Finn said, more to himself, as his breathing calmed just a tad bit more. He nodded. "Right. She needs me."

"Right now," Puck agreed as another pained moan came from within the room, and he pushed Finn through the door.

As soon as he was through, he wished he hadn't entered. Santana had her eyes shut tight, her hair damp with sweat as it stuck to her cheeks, which were still wet from her tears. Quinn was murmuring into Santana's ears on the other side of the bed as Santana gasped for air, not even stopping as she looked up to glare at him. Damn, she was good.

She eyed the other empty spot beside Santana and instantly he went up to the bed, reaching for her hand.

"Santana?" he asked. Santana cringed and opened her eyes as best she could.

She gripped his hand back like a vise. "Finn? Oh, god, Finn, _it hurts!_"

"Come on," he said, trying not to sound in pain despite the fact her grip was cutting off his circulation. "Come on, Santana, let's do our breathing—"

"I don't want to fucking breathe!" she snapped. "I want drugs and I want them _now!_ I want to be knocked out! I don't care if you have to hit me on the head with a bat or something, Finn, I can't have a baby like this."

"Santana, I'm not hitting you on the head with anything," Finn said at the same time Quinn was repeating, "You can do this. You can do this."

Then she let out a low moan that was beginning to climb octaves as she clutched at her stomach, shutting her eyes again.

"_Okay_, come on, Santana," Quinn was practically pleading while doing the _puff puff puff_, inhale, _puff puff puff_, inhale.

"Peaceful thoughts," Finn reminded. "Think peaceful thoughts. Peaceful thoughts. Meadows and gardens and beaches and—"

Both girls stopped and looked at him like he was crazy.

"Okay, maybe not," he said. "But remember what we learned in class? Happy thoughts? Think about glee, and all those songs we did, how much fun you had. And last year's Regionals when you got your solo lines. The crowd went wild. And when we saw Beth and she smiled in Quinn's arms. And summer at the beach—"

"When Brittany and Tina got pulled in by that wave," she gasped. "Mike and Matt were so frantic."

"Right. And remember going to the ultrasounds, and Rachel and Puck threw you that amazing baby shower?"

"Kurt and Mercedes were so upset because they couldn't buy clothes for the baby," Quinn added. "You wanted the sex to be a surprise."

Finn nodded. "And remember our names? Christopher William, for my dad and Mr. Schue, and—"

"Alexandra Marguerita," Santana panted. "Because I liked the nickname _Lexi_."

"Lexi," he repeated, kissing her forehead.

"You're doing so well, Santana," Quinn said, and she smiled up at Finn as if this applied to him as well. He smiled back.

Santana loosened her grip on Finn's hand but still held it firmly, closing her eyes. "Please don't leave me, Finn. Promise me you won't."

"I promise," he reassured, smoothing over her hair. "Where else am I going to be?"

* * *

"Sleepy, Babe?" Puck chuckled in amusement as he shifted so he could more comfortably allow Rachel to lean against his side as they sat together on the waiting room couch. She laughed sleepily but didn't bother answering. "You know, we could go back home if you're tired. Or better yet, my mom and sister are staying over at my aunt's place tonight."

She smiled, her eyes fluttering open. "After? I really want to be here for them, and I know you do, too."

He laughed lightly and nodded in agreement. "After, then."

"I can't imagine what it's like in that delivery room right now," Mike admitted from where he and Tina were sitting together on another couch.

Tina laughed. "You know how Santana gets."

"You were there when it was Quinn," Matt pointed out, nudging Mercedes.

"What was it like?" Brittany asked.

Mercedes bit her lower lip and looked to Kurt, who shrugged, as if saying _It can't hurt to tell_. "She was," Mercedes began, pondering the right way to put it, "unusual. She kept yelling at Puck." At this, she flashed a smile at said boy, who laughed again, recalling the memory.

"So, if it's anything like that for Santana," Artie began.

Kurt finished with a huge smile on his face, "Then I pray for Finn."

"He was kind of a mess in the hallway," Puck admitted. "I literally had to push him in to get him through the door. But you didn't hear that from me."

"Finn's a softie, but he's a tough kid, too," Coach Tanaka reminded.

"And Santana, if anything, is strong," Will added. "With them there, and with Quinn's support and experience, I think they'll be pretty well off."

"I don't know," Shelby contradicted. "When it's one of those moments, sometimes you don't _think_ clearly."

Emma nodded in agreement. "Most people tend to react differently to such dire situations."

"But it _is_ Finn and Santana," Rachel reminded, fighting back a yawn. All eyes were on her, having thought she'd already fallen asleep before this conversation started. She smiled sleepily, though there was not a trace of doubt in her statement. "They're going to do it their way, and they're going to pass with flying colors. I just know it."

And no one argued with this truth.

* * *

"I can see the head, Santana," the doctor was saying. Finn was surprised he could hear himself over Santana's gasping and moaning. "You're almost there, Santana. Just give me one more push. One _tiny_ one."

Finn leaned down and whispered into her ear. "So close, Santana. Come on. It can't be long now."

At the same time, Quinn was muttering, "You're doing so well. Better than me."

Santana must've understood everything they were telling her because she managed one nod and her face pulled together again, mouth open as she let out a moan, mustering the last drop of fight against the immense pain within her to give that tiny push. Then suddenly, there was something small and red and slimy in the doctor's arms, and it let out a small cry, and it was finally over.

"7:28pm, January 5th, 2011," the doctor said. "It's a baby girl. Beautiful and healthy."

Finn and Quinn hadn't even noticed they'd been holding their breaths until they both exhaled in relief, looking to each other and beaming.

Then Finn tightened his grip on Santana's hand firmly but softly, brushing back some sweaty bangs from her face. Her eyes were closed, but rather than them being squeezed shut in pain, she finally looked relaxed and at peace. "Did you hear that, Santana?"

"No," she admitted breathlessly, her eyes fluttering open. "What did the doctor say?"

"Well," Finn said, unable to wipe the smile off of his face as the doctor was handing him their little girl. "Why don't you say hello to our little Lexi?"

Her face looked confused at first, but then it brightened into a smile – a tired, but still brilliant smile. "A girl," she whispered. "Lexi, Lexi, Lexi." She kissed their daughter's forehead.

"Congratulations," Quinn said, brushing more hair from her friend's face.

Santana turned to her and nodded. "Thank you, Quinn."

Quinn shook her head as if to say that it was nothing, what else were friends for?

Then she gave one last smile back at Finn before crossing the room and leaving to deliver the good news. Finn slowly lowered Lexi into Santana's cradled arms, and Santana beamed at her daughter, cooing softly. They all seemed to be cooing at her, even the doctor and nurses that were in the room with them.

"She's beautiful," Finn whispered. "Just like her mother."

Santana looked over at him. "I thought you were going to pass out on me," she said, smiling.

He laughed. "I _felt_ like passing out, too. Or throwing up, maybe."

She shook her head, looking down at Lexi again. "Your daddy's a softie, Lexi."

"That's why I kind of need you," he chuckled, turning her head gently back to face him so he could plant a kiss on her lips.

"As _I_ need _you_."

* * *

"It's a girl."

At those words, everyone in the room seemed to exhale the breath they'd all been holding, which was slowly followed by a not-so-quiet cheer (which was soon _sush_ed by a passing-by nurse). Quinn laughed lightly, instantly at Artie's side and planting a kiss on his lips, relieving all of the stress that she'd held in just to be there at Santana's side. The worst was over now. From here on out, they'd all be there behind Finn and Santana.

Mrs. Hudson, Mrs. Lopez and Santana's younger and older sister, who arrived sometime during the delivery, quickly left as soon as Quinn said that it was more than okay for them to visit first.

Soon after, they all took their turns visiting in pairs. (The doctor was very lenient about their large group, but he _did_ stress that there was a visitation limit – at least until she was out of the delivery room and into her own.) Mike and Tina left first after receiving a text from Tina's mother about dinner and Mike being invited, and their leave was soon followed by Emma and Ken, as well as Mercedes and Kurt, who officially declared a more appropriate Welcome to the World Shower now that they could go all out since they knew the sex. Will and Shelby left a little after that, as well as Matt and Brittany, and Artie's father came to pick him and Quinn up a little later.

Just a few minutes before the hospital's visiting hours would end, the doctor and nurses and Santana's family and Finn's mom were gone, and it was just Puck, Finn, Rachel, Santana, and Lexi.

"You did good, man," Puck was saying to Finn. The two friends leaned against the far wall as they were watching Santana and Rachel chatting and laughing while cooing over Lexi, who was now fast asleep and cradled in Rachel's arms. "You did good."

Finn smiled. "Thanks, man."

"Did you almost faint?"

He laughed again. "Almost."

"I almost did, too," Puck reassured.

"But the worst is over," Finn said. "In the end, I was there for her, and I plan to be there when she needs me."

"Like right now?" Puck asked as he nudged Finn and Finn looked up to see Santana and Rachel looking at them, gesturing for them to come join them.

Puck stood behind Rachel, leaning over her shoulder to peer at the sleeping baby, while Finn settled into the seat beside Santana, and she held his hand and rested her head on his shoulder. "Did you hear about the party Kurt and Mercedes will be throwing for Lexi?" she asked sleepily.

"Party?" Finn asked. "She's not even a day old yet."

"She'll be one spoiled little girl," Puck laughed.

"Not spoiled, Noah," Rachel corrected, beaming at Lexi. "She'll be loved unconditionally."

"Sure, Babe," he said, kissing Rachel's temple. "Whatever you say."

"No comments about our baby, Puckerman." Though, Santana's threat was rendered entirely weightless when she laughed afterward.

"We'll all be there for her when she needs us," Finn said.

Santana smiled, looking over at Finn and kissing him. "Like she was there when _we_ needed her."

And this, too, was the truth.

Rachel rocked Lexi softly in her arms before returning her to her mother, and the four of them sang softly.

"_It's a quarter after one  
I'm all alone  
And I need you now_

_I said I wouldn't come  
But I lost all control  
And I need you now_

_And I don't know how I could do without_

_I just need you now_"

* * *

**A/n.**

**Songs used:** "One Week" by the Barenaked Ladies; "Hey Mickey" by B-Witched; "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum

And…THE END! (cue horns and confetti and balloons and music)

This has been one wonderful ride, you guys. You were all wonderful supporters! Your reviews definitely put a big goofy smile on my face when I read them. For the ending, I went with the comical ending, because I completely agreed with **Embracing Inescapable Truth**'s comment about ending on a happy, upbeat ending after all the drama the story started off with. Plus, it just seems very _glee_, doesn't it?

SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON INVOLVED IN THIS STORY!

Thanks to (and these are as of right now, right as I am checking the story stats to write this to post this chapter):

…the **64** reviews; the **11,702** hits; the **30** favorites; and the **114** story subscriptions!

**Special thanks to my reviewers for Chapter 7:** wickedglee, MarlisaKristine, GingerGleek, LOVEtaylorlautner, izzabella11, Kkaty, Artemise3000, anonymous dream

Let me give a special "shout-out"/thanks to **anonymous dream** for reviewing all 7 chapters so far! (and hopefully this one as well!)

And that's all for now! At least until my next story!

THANK YOU GUYS!

(Oh, and sorry for any errors. It's pretty late as I finish this and I wanted to upload it ASAP so I most likely overlooked things in my ecstatic rush. I promise I'll go back and change things when I get the chance.)

_Love it? Hate it? Please review it!_


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